The City's Infrastructure Solutions Team recently celebrated America's youth with the first-ever Youth Apprenticeship Week (YAW), an effort to spotlight apprenticeship opportunities for individuals aged 16-24, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. YAW, which ran from May 5-11, is an extension of the National Apprenticeship Week and emphasizes the importance of registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs as valuable stepping stones for young people into the workforce.
Philadelphia's demand for skilled labor in infrastructure industries, boosted by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding, is expected to remain strong for at least a decade, the National Skills Coalition reports, offering youths the chance for quality, family-supporting jobs including highly sought-after union positions. This demand means there’s an opportunity, and many of the roles require short or moderate-term training, sometimes leading to official certifications or licenses, the City of Philadelphia's official website states.
Local initiatives during the week included distributing a pre-apprenticeship informational flyer, which served as a resource for the School District of Philadelphia's CTE counselors, the Office of Children and Families, and CareerLink Navigators detailed in an announcement obtained by the City. Philadelphia schools such as Jules Mastbaum High School and Martha Washington Middle School worked with Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO and Philadelphia Academies Inc to hold career days, which opened students' eyes to apprenticeships from culinary arts to STEAM fields, based on a statement from the school district.
Tuesday saw the Pre-Apprenticeship Accelerator, an event by ApprenticeshipPHL at the Community College of Philadelphia that showcased strategies for linking high school students to careers through apprenticeship, while the same day members of the IST showed support at MyWIC’s Charity Beer Tasting Event which aided fundraising for the summer camp aiming to acquaint middle and high school girls with the construction trades, according to the City's website. The Finishing Trades Institute of the Mid-Atlantic Region held a panel where apprentices were able to share their personal journeys towards career success, information corroborated by participating institutions.
Wrapping up the week was Saturday's "Elevate Youth" event hosted by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, designed to be a fun-filled gathering with a serious message about the opportunities in apprenticeship programs. The City of Philadelphia is also reaching out to ensure residents, especially women and people of color, have new avenues into skilled trade union apprenticeships, a commitment underlined in their call to action for interested individuals to complete their workforce development interest form.
