Why Youth Apprenticeships Are So Important

It can be overwhelming to think about your future career when you're young. From deciding which college to attend to applying for internships, securing your future is definitely stressful.

But one beneficial option for young adults, and high schoolers, that is often overlooked is youth apprenticeships.

New research from The Urban Institute, a non-profit research organization that works to strengthen communities, shows that youth apprenticeship programs help youth populations to jumpstart their careers, learn professional skills, and more.

Apprenticeships allow employers to train and mentor young people, so that they can gain professional experience and explore their career interests.

"It's really a terrific opportunity...students have so much to offer. It's really exciting both for the apprentice and for the organization," said Diana Elliot, the Principle Research Associate at The Urban Institute, in our "Tuned In to NoCo" interview. "It's a terrific win-win situation. The apprentices often stay on board and are among the most loyal and, sort of, productive employees that you'll find at any organization."

In order to help foster apprenticeships, The Urban Institute runs the Youth Apprenticeship Intermediary Project, which aims to bring awareness to the benefits of apprenticeship programs.

These programs have found success in many states across the country, including Colorado.

"These programs, when offered in high schools, can really launch young people onto really great career tracks and set them up with work experience and degrees to get those positions," said Elliot.

And, because so many are unfamiliar with how an apprenticeship works, The Urban Institute is happy to guide both employers and participants through the process.

Learn more about the benefits of youth apprenticeships by listening to the full "Tuned In to NoCo" interview with Diana Elliot below.