Presently available to high school students in twenty Maryland counties (Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary's, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester) and Baltimore City through their school system, youth apprenticeships are “earn and learn” work opportunities focused on high-growth, high demand industries including occupations related to the manufacturing, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) industries.

A youth apprentice participating in this program receives supervised, structured, on-the-job training from a mentor in a specific in-demand occupation within industries including:

• Environmental, Agriculture, and Natural Resources
• Business Management and Finance
• Construction and Development
• Health and Bio Sciences
• Information Technology
• Manufacturing, Engineering, and Technology

Youth apprenticeship program students work a minimum of 450 hours with a certified employer, while receiving related educational training through their high school. Participating students typically work during the summer after their junior year and during their senior year with a state-approved employer. They work with a mentor to learn valuable skills and earn industry credentials and high school credit. Students also receive training in employability skills, interpersonal/social skills, and general knowledge of the world of work.

A participating student will earn a wage, while receiving industry credentials and gaining experience in your area of interest. Youth apprenticeship will ensure that your chosen career path is right for you and avoid costly tuition debt by pursuing the right training. Youth apprentices will get a head start on applying for jobs after high school, because of the valuable career skills and professional network that you will develop. Youth apprentices will gain job satisfaction by performing meaningful work.

High school students in participating counties may apply to be a youth apprentice by contacting their school’s work-based learning coordinator, their school counselor, or their school system’s Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator.]

More information about the program is provided on the participating school system’s websites: Allegany, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Carroll, Dorchester, Frederick, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary's, Talbot, Washington, and Wicomico.

Youth apprenticeship is a win-win for your business. Youth apprenticeships are a great way to develop a pipeline of talented, highly skilled workers to help your business grow. You will see a noticeable contribution to your bottom line through these productive and motivated employees. A well-trained workforce may also reduce worker compensation costs by making your workplace safer. In addition, youth apprenticeships help with succession planning, facilitating the transfer of knowledge from experienced employees to new recruits.

Find out more about youth apprenticeships on the participating school system’s websites.

A youth apprentice employer must agree to:

• Complete the Eligible Employer Application and receive approval from the Maryland Department of Labor;
• Sign the Youth Apprenticeship Agreement (Word) once a youth apprentice has been identified and return it to the participating school system, which in turn will provide this document to Maryland Department of Labor;
• Employ the youth apprentice for at least 450 hours within a specified period (not to exceed 14 months);
• Develop a brief description of the on-the-job tasks, associated work processes, and competencies that the youth apprentice will be expected to master in the eligible career track occupation;
• Instruct the youth apprentice in the required competencies provided for this program;
• Provide a supervisor/mentor for a youth apprentice;
• Conduct periodic and regular performance evaluations of the youth apprentice as deemed appropriate;
• Pay the youth apprentice for all work performed during the program at no less than minimum wage;
• Comply with applicable child labor and employment of minors laws with regard to number of hours worked, prohibited occupations and equipment, and time of day employment for youth apprentices;
• Provide safety instruction in work practices;
• Provide safe equipment and facilities in compliance with OSHA requirements;
• Be located in close proximity to the local school systems currently participating in the Apprenticeship Maryland Program; and
• Have expected future entry level job openings in the eligible career track occupation.

Step 1: Complete the eligible employer application or call 410-767-2246 to speak to a youth apprenticeship navigator.

Step 2: A youth apprenticeship navigator will contact you to complete all necessary program materials and submit your final application to the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council.

Step 3: The Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council will review your application and notify you of its determination.

Step 4: Begin recruiting your youth apprentice! The school system will connect you to youth apprentice candidates for your consideration. The candidates are hired directly by you, the employer, not the Department of Labor.

For assistance in hiring a youth apprentice, call 410-767-2246 today!

The Maryland Department of Labor has been proud to partner with the Maryland State Department of Education and the Department of Commerce in developing a youth apprenticeship program. Originally in 2015, House Bill 942 established an apprenticeship pilot program, Apprenticeship Maryland, to prepare students to enter the workforce by providing on-site employment training and related classroom instruction needed to obtain a license or certification for a skilled occupation. The program began in the summer of 2016 and lasted for two years. This pilot program was a direct result of the Augustine Commission’s report released in February 2015. The commission specifically identified apprenticeship opportunities as a way Maryland could become more business friendly by developing a highly skilled and efficient workforce.

In January 2018, Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford announced the continuation and expansion of Maryland’s successful Apprenticeship Maryland youth apprenticeship program. In June 2018, MSDE and the Maryland Department of Labor were pleased to announce the implementation of the Apprenticeship Maryland Program (AMP) as a new Career and Technology Education Program of Study.

The program is now available to students in eight jurisdictions throughout the state. Moving forward, members of the Maryland Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship and Training Program and MSDE’s Career and College Readiness team will meet with officials at all 24 of Maryland K-12 public schools systems. Additional school systems have already expressed interest in joining AMP.

Established in 2014 by House Bill 1207 (2014), the Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Committee is a group of business, labor, and other stakeholders commissioned to explore the expansion of youth apprenticeships in Maryland. The committee’s first report, released December 2015, serves as a blueprint for a Maryland youth apprenticeship system. In December 2016, with input from the Maryland Department of Labor and the Maryland State Department of Education, the committee released the Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Committee Annual Report 2016 followed by the Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Committee Annual Report 2017. This report satisfies both the Maryland Department of Labor and MSDE’s mandated state agency’s Report on the Status of the Apprenticeship Maryland Pilot Program.

The Maryland Apprenticeship Ambassador Program is an incentive program that raises awareness about registered apprenticeships and encourages job seekers and businesses to engage in apprenticeship opportunities. For more information about the program and how to apply, download the Maryland Apprenticeship Ambassador Summary and the Maryland Apprenticeship Ambassador Introductory Letter.