This combination of instruction helps students make the connection between school and the world of work. The program provides the student with a strong academic foundation and technical know-how that are necessary skills for the future. Local partnerships of schools and employers apply for state approval as a youth apprenticeship site. Students work for 10-20 hours per week during the school year. This work component of the program usually begins in the second semester of the junior year.
Youth apprentices usually work full-time during the summer months.
Students enroll in a youth apprenticeship class at the end of the sophomore year and begin the first year of the two-year program in their junior year. Youth apprenticeship classes are scheduled so that other planned high school courses and work schedules meet with their parents, teachers, and employers approval. Students who master the required program competencies receive a state-issued skill certificate and their high school diploma. Some Youth apprenticeship classes offer high school seniors an opportunity to earn technical college credits for the course work. The amount and type of credit is determined by the high school and the Technical College partnership and articulation agreement.