State Approaches to Youth Apprenticeship: A Landscape Analysis

There is no federal legal definition of “youth apprenticeship,” and how states define the term can affect how programs operate across the country. With inconsistent definitions (or none at all), many states lack guidance on how to build youth apprenticeship programs to maximize funding sources and prepare students for postsecondary education and careers. Attendees of this webinar will learn about the many varied youth apprenticeship definitions in 2025—which states have adopted them, what major policy trends have emerged, and how definitions can impact program structure and quality.

Join Lancy Downs, senior policy analyst at New America, and Dan Hinderliter, associate director of state policy for Advance CTE, for a brief presentation of this research along with audience Q&A. This presentation will draw from the following research conducted by PAYA and Advance CTE.

• A 50 state scan of state policies on youth apprenticeship, which found that 33 states have some definition of youth apprenticeship, including viewing the model as:
  • a Federally Registered Apprenticeship (RAP);
  • distinct from RAP; or
  • two models of apprenticeship that serve different functions.
• A review of state policies, led by PAYA and Advance CTE, on how these different definitions showcase varying theories on how to scale apprenticeship, including offering employer incentives, breaking down silos between K-12, higher education and the workplace, and increasing access to programs.