PAYA

Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship

NAPE has partnered with New America and leaders from the education, workforce, and policy
sectors to launch the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (#PAYA) and expand youth
apprenticeship programs in the U.S. These programs work to connect the educational needs of
students with the talent needs of industry.

Announcing “Engaging Apprentice Voice: A Strategy for Promoting More Equitable Programs for Youth”

NAPE has partnered with Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) to provide this resource to help guide practitioners in ways to effectively engage apprentice voice in their programming. This tool offers why apprentice voice is important, what engaging apprentice voice can look like, and examples of what’s working in the field. Utilizing the strategies outlined in this resource will  ensure you are effectively engaging apprentice voice where apprentices are valued and “seen”, not just in rhetoric, but through daily and institutionalized practices. 

The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder initiative established in 2018 to assist innovative partners around the country in developing robust youth apprenticeship programs that can be scaled and replicated to connect the learning needs of youth with the talent needs of industry.

PAYA is a collaborative initiative designed to support the growth and success of emerging and existing youth apprenticeship partnerships in cities, states, and regions across the U.S.

Led by New America, PAYA includes eight National Partner organizations from across the education, workforce, and policy sectors: National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity,  Advance CTE, CareerWise Colorado, Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship, Education Strategy Group, JFF, National Fund for Workforce Solutions, and the National Governors Association. 

Announcing the Equity in Youth Apprenticeship Programs Toolkit

NAPE is excited to introduce a new toolkit, Equity in Apprenticeships Programs, to support the PAYA initiative. This toolkit guides PAYA grantees (as well as the larger apprenticeship community) on how to identify and address barriers to access and success for individuals from underrepresented groups in apprenticeships, including women, people of color, people with disabilities, English language learners, and others. The toolkit addresses barriers at the system, institutional, and individual level to realize the potential of our workforce.

PAYA is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Ballmer Group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Joyce Foundation, JP Morgan Chase & Co., and the Siemens Foundation.