Everything old is new again. Apprenticeship is an established idea that has been revived to meet new labor and economic challenges. Right now, there is significant momentum across the United States to advance formal apprenticeship programs for high school students and new graduates.

Despite youth apprenticeship’s popularity, little has been written about the importance of partnerships and collaboration in creating them. In order to be successful, youth apprenticeship programs must be built with a variety of community partners: K–12 systems, employers, community colleges, and groups such as chambers of commerce, workforce boards, and community foundations. Youth apprenticeship demands a “systems thinking” approach where all partners work in coordination toward the goal of preparing youth to enter and succeed in these programs. But when youth apprenticeship is something new to these partners, where to begin?

Read the rest of this post at New America’s Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship Blog Series.