Youth Apprenticeship Week (YAW)

Youth Apprenticeship Week (YAW)

Participants learned about the first Youth Apprenticeship Week (YAW), which took place May 5-11, 2024, from Randy Copeland and Jeff Smith at the Office of Apprenticeship.

Building off the success of National Apprenticeship Week, Youth Apprenticeship Week is a nationwide celebration that highlights the benefits and value of Registered Apprenticeship program opportunities for youth, ages 16–24.

Employers, educators, labor unions, workforce professionals, and their partners across the country are launching Registered Apprenticeship programs that allow youth to earn competitive wages while obtaining the relevant training and experience to start their careers, often including the opportunity to earn college credit.

YAW is an opportunity for these stakeholders and others to increase awareness of these life-changing Registered Apprenticeship opportunities for youth and how they create a sustainable pipeline of skilled and diverse talent for critical industries. Participants heard from Youth Apprentices Trailblazers on their Apprenticeship experience and learned how you can support YAW as well.

Understanding Registered Apprenticeship as a Business Services Opportunity

Understanding Registered Apprenticeship as a Business Services Opportunity

This training session was designed for Business Service Representatives (BSRs), Veterans’ Representatives, and other workforce professionals that engage directly with employers.

BSRs serve as industry’s critical point of contact with the public workforce system making them ideally positioned to present registered apprenticeship (RA) as a proven, critical component of an employers’ overall workforce development strategy and to promote the value of RA to employers.

Registered Apprenticeship is an ideal solution for many employers that are partners with workforce boards and American Job Centers. This online training opportunity explored innovative ways that apprenticeship ties in with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) business services. It also equipped participants to connect with and leverage the support of the apprenticeship system on behalf of employers.

By connecting intentionally and regularly with Apprenticeship Training Representatives (ATRs), WIOA business services can better engage employers, place candidates in well-paying RA employment, and increase positive WIOA performance metrics.

This first session in the ATR & BSR Training Series featured how RA is structured and works in concert with the workforce system, recent initiatives, funding opportunities, partners, and how to speak to employers about RA.

Link to Webinar

Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) Annual Conference - Unlocking Registered Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Opportunities

Unlocking Registered Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Opportunities

Center partner, COABE, invited participants to enjoy the world’s largest adult education conference where they accessed new best practices and received targeted training from national level speakers. Fifteen strands, comprised of almost 500 break-out sessions were offered over three and a half days, providing valuable, state-of-the-art training to utilize in your adult education program. Participants joined 2,500 conferees and enjoyed numerous networking opportunities with adult education peers from around the country.

Link to PPT

Southeastern Employment and Training Association (SETA) Spring Conference 2024

Southeastern Employment and Training Association (SETA) Spring Conference 2024

SETA provides professional growth opportunities for all workforce development partners. Since 1973, SETA has provided a forum for thousands of workforce professionals in the Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Participants in these regions joined SETA's Spring Conference and learned best practices in workforce development, heard about recent legislation and how it impacts the profession, and networked with peers in the workforce development industry.

Link to Website