Department of Labor will celebrate benefits of Registered Apprenticeships as valuable pathway to good jobs during first Youth Apprenticeship Week

WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced that the nation will celebrate the benefits of Registered Apprenticeships and the opportunities they create for youth and young adults with 320 special events and more than 70 proclamations scheduled across the U.S. to mark the first annual Youth Apprenticeship Week from May 5-11. 

Built on the success of National Apprenticeship Week, Youth Apprenticeship Week will give employers, unions, educators, state agencies, workforce partners, community-based organizations and other Registered Apprenticeship sponsors the opportunity to showcase their programs and successes in youth apprenticeships. The annual commemoration also offers youth apprentices a platform on which they can share their apprenticeship experiences and educate the public about the benefits of local youth apprenticeship programs.

“Youth Apprenticeship Week recognizes the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to create employment opportunities for young adults and the critical role they play in our nation’s workforce infrastructure,” said Acting Secretary Julie Su. “Youth apprenticeships are not just pathways to careers, they are bridges to futures filled with promise, opportunity and endless potential.” 

During Youth Apprenticeship Week, Apprenticeship Trailblazers will gather May 6 at the department’s Washington headquarters for a kickoff event, and the department’s Employment and Training Administration will welcome new youth apprentices for a signing event. At the event, more than 40 youth and young adults will join Registered Apprenticeship programs at several government agencies in the district, including the nation’s first Historically Black Colleges and Universities public service apprenticeship program. These apprentices will represent industries central to the “Investing in America” agenda such as construction, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, education, cybersecurity and healthcare. 

Throughout the week, Acting Secretary Su and Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training José Javier Rodríguez will discuss the importance of various youth apprenticeship models across the country. These models are providing opportunities for young adults to develop in-demand skills in diverse industry sectors such as the public sector through the Federal Youth Apprentice Pathway Program. The program seeks to establish a model to help federal agencies partner with Registered Apprenticeship Intermediaries to create high-quality career pathways to good jobs. 

Since 2021, the Biden-Harris administration has expanded Registered Apprenticeships with more than 7,100 new programs, 12,000 new employer partners and more than 1.4 million apprentices hired, including more than 541,000 youth apprentices from 16 to 24. 

Learn more about Youth Apprenticeship Week 2024 and how to participate.