Equitable Apprenticeships for Young Adults

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Heard & Learned

Below, we share key insights and research findings from our Equitable Apprenticeships for Young Adults project. This page includes descriptions of the tools and artifacts we used to gain insights and create a tri-sector solution concept.

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Equitable Apprenticeships for Young Adults⁠

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Talent Pathways Innovation Concept⁠

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About NewImpact⁠

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Explore the Spotlight Map

The Spotlight Map below reflects what we learned from 27 Spotlight Interviews conducted with people with experience and knowledge within a wide variety of sectors and facets in the apprenticeship space. The information is organized around themes that emerged in the interviews.

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What is a Spotlight Interview?

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What is a Spotlight Map?

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Several themes stood out from the interviews:

Apprenticeships growing in fields outside the building trades, e.g., healthcare, technology, advanced manufacturing, and marketing.

Success factors for employers to adopt and offer equitable apprenticeships.

Drivers of employer adoption of apprenticeships, including diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives, and the need to build new talent pipelines.

Barriers to employer adoption of apprenticeship, including widespread bias for college degrees and preference to consume rather than develop talent.

Barriers for young adults, including a lack of awareness and promotion of apprenticeship (especially in schools), logistical needs for transportation and digital access, and inequitable evaluation criteria that can screen out many who would benefit from apprenticeship the most.

Fig 1. Spotlight Map

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Explore the Systems Map

The system map below illustrates high-level drivers and dynamics that influence the availability of apprenticeships and a young adult’s access to them.

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What is a Systems Map?

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We used these to identify opportunity areas and possible points of intervention, which included the following:

Employer Lack of Awareness and Misconceptions outside the Building Trades

Adoption of Apprenticeship Credentials in Newer Industries

Jobseeker Awareness and Misconceptions

Access Gaps Limiting Participation in Apprenticeship

Fig 2. Systems Map

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Explore the Impact Journeys

Two impact journeys below illustrate the sequential points in the experience of 1) a young adult exploring and entering into apprenticeship, and 2) an employer considering and adopting apprenticeship. These impact journeys help surface obstacles, pain points, successes, gaps, and opportunities.

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What is an Impact Journey?

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Fig 3. Impact Journey for the Learner (potential apprentice)

This impact journey, following the Learner, revealed that:

Many young adults never learn that apprenticeship is an option, nor that they can pursue it in fields like healthcare and technology.

School counselors, intermediaries, and other advisors play a critical role in helping young adults navigate options.

The limited availability of apprenticeships can encourage some programs to make selection criteria more competitive, which disadvantages young adults who may benefit from them the most.

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Fig 4. Impact Journey for the Employer

This impact journey, following the Employer, revealed that:

Misconceptions about apprenticeship — especially outside the building trades — stop many employers from considering them as a talent pipeline option.

Concern around working with young adults and/or high school graduates, as well as perceptions of legals risks in working with people under 18, can discourage some employers from offering apprenticeships.

Intermediaries play a critical role in recruiting apprentices, managing their learning and development, and navigating standards and reporting (in the case of Registered Apprenticeships).

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If you or your organization is interested in helping pilot one of our programs in your community, please

contact us⁠

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