Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship
Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship Initiative
About the Initiative
The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA), launched in 2018 by New America, is a multi-year, collaborative initiative that supports the success of efforts in states and cities to expand access to high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for high school-age youth. PAYA convenes experts and partners, supports a community of practitioners, publishes research, and provides grants and direct technical assistance to promising youth apprenticeship (YA) programs in communities across the United States.
Advance CTE serves as a PAYA partner alongside New America, CareerWise Colorado, Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships, Education Strategy Group, JFF, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and the National Governors Association.
Advance CTE’s participation in this initiative strives to achieve YA at scale with seamless connections to a larger, cohesive career preparation ecosystem. High-quality and equitable YA experiences allow students to complete high school, start their postsecondary education at no cost, get paid work experience alongside a mentor and start on a path that broadens their options for the future. However, the policy and practice of youth apprenticeship is still relatively nascent in the United States, necessitating supports and resources for the field.
The work of PAYA is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Carnegie Corporation of New York, JPMorgan Chase, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the Siemens Foundation, the Smidt Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation.
Impact
Since joining PAYA, Advance CTE has provided extensive support and resources to help state and local intermediaries improve the quality of and use of data in the design, implementation and evaluation of YA programs. Over the last five years, Advance CTE has convened two workgroups of a mix of YA stakeholders to identify the biggest challenges and barriers around data quality and use with respect to YA – as well as compiling tools and resources that state and local intermediaries can use, including templates, guides and links to external resources that can be adapted and modified to suit different program needs. Advance CTE will continue to provide ongoing support to PAYA partners around data, alignment to CTE pathways and other key topics as the initiative continues.
To learn more about PAYA and how youth apprenticeship can unlock opportunity for both young people and employers, visit newamerica.org/paya.
Access Advance CTE’s PAYA resources here:
