The Maine Youth Apprenticeship Program prepares high school students for the world of work through a combination of intensive classroom learning at school and structured workplace experiences. The program is based on the assumption that young people need better training to succeed in a competitive, global economy and that the challenge is best met if businesses become true partners in the education process. The involvement of employers includes assessment of students' performance, creation of relevant curriculum, and the development of occupational skill standards specific to given industries. The three-year program provides a direct link to higher education, with students attending high school during the first two years of their participation and a technical college during the third and final year. They work full-time during the summer.
Students receive high school diplomas.
Apprentices who attain established skill levels receive Certificates of Skills Mastery listing specific occupational skills mastered. Andrew Jensen, left, a youth apprentice at Maine Medical Center in Portland, reviews some telecommunications software. During this time, the students are considered employees, not of the firms where they work, but of the Center for Youth Apprenticeship, the office housed at Southern Maine Technical College that oversees the program. Apprenticeships are offered in many career fields, including manufacturing, allied health, machine tool, computers, customer service, banking and finance, and others. Over the next five years, officials hope that all high schools in the state will participate.