Give Students a Career Jumpstart
Career opportunities exist for students to start an apprenticeship while in high school (usually 11th or 12th grade). Students are provided the opportunity to remain enrolled in academic classes designed to meet high school graduation requirements while at the same time partnering with local business and industry leaders for paid, hands-on learning experiences. Contact your local DLR job service office to assist you with the process and build partnerships in your community.
What does a successful program include?
Curriculum & Job Training Plans
The use of instructional curriculum and job training plans developed by the employer, high school and post-high school technical instructional staff is provided. Together, this team determines what skills each student will learn and the number of hours spent learning each task.
Varying Backgrounds
The program invites and encourages interested students to apply regardless of academic performance, work experience or financial means.
Guaranteed Full-Time Employment
The Registered Apprenticeship program works with employers who provide student apprentices guaranteed full-time employment with benefits and guaranteed wage increases upon graduation.
Ability to Earn While You Learn
Student participants are required to continue classroom instruction at a local community college, with the employer paying a portion or all of the tuition and fees.
Be a Part of the Youth Apprenticeship Movement
The Youth Apprenticeship program addresses the dual role of both preparing career-ready students while also providing South Dakota with a highly skilled, technologically competitive workforce. Students are provided the opportunity to remain enrolled in academic classes designed to meet high school graduation requirements while at the same time partnering with local business and industry leaders for shadowing and hands-on learning experiences. The best part: there is no waiting. It’s an instant career with an instant paycheck. Click on the links below to find how to get involved in this job training program.
Employers can:
- Create crucial recruitment pipelines
- Decrease costly turnover
- Influence, mold, and shape potential future employees
High school apprentices can:
- Bring in a paycheck while they learn
- Enhance their employability by obtaining critical sought-after work skills
- Strengthen their academic skills and in turn their academic success
- Could earn post-secondary credits to get a jumpstart on furthering education
For Educators:
- Apprenticeships are a great way for students to get on-the-job training as they put their classroom knowledge and skills to work for a business. Some apprenticeships even offer college credit or the opportunity to earn nationally recognized certification.
- Apprenticeships can help improve student engagement. Students must finish high school before they can finish their apprenticeship, so there is an added incentive for kids to stay in school.
- Apprenticeships may be reflected in a school district’s graduate follow-up report. All students in an apprenticeship program can be reported as employed.
- Work-based learning (such as apprenticeships) has been shown to increase high school completion rates
- Students not only gain employable skills in an apprenticeship, but they can also earn a decent wage to help pay for books, college tuition, and clothing, or to start a savings account.
- School districts/career centers/post-secondary institutions can own these programs as intermediaries and do not have to be associated with a union to operate.
