 Hi, my name is Bianca DeCrest and I am a Policy Analyst on the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship at the Center on Education and Labor Team at New America. Before we jump into what a high quality youth apprenticeship is, I want to say welcome to our Youth Apprenticeship 101 informational series. Each video will answer a specific question that may cover a familiar or unfamiliar topic. Also, we will provide additional resources for you to utilize at your convenience. If you have any additional questions or suggestions on other youth apprenticeship frequently asked questions we can cover, please email us at paya at newamerica.org. Now let's get into the series. A youth apprenticeship is a structured work-based learning program designed to start when apprentices are in high school. A high quality youth apprenticeship program is built on partnerships that include employers, high schools and providers of post-secondary education, most often a community college. High quality youth apprenticeship programs also include four core elements that consist of paid-on-the-job training under the supervision of skilled employee mentors, related classroom-based instruction, ongoing assessment against established skills and competency standards, and lastly, a culmination in portable industry-recognized credential and post-secondary credit. There are a lot of terms used in the apprenticeship world and we wanted to keep you up to speed by reviewing a few commonly used words. A pre-apprenticeship program is a program or set of strategies that is designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in a registered apprenticeship program. A registered apprenticeship is a nationally recognized pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship program that is approved by the U.S. Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency. All registered apprenticeships are paid and include regular wage increases during the program. The length of a registered apprenticeship program varies, but is typically somewhere between two to four years. A non-registered apprenticeship refers to any apprenticeship program that is not formally registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. There is no single definition of a non-registered apprenticeship. These programs may be paid or unpaid and may or may not lead to a certificate or a job in the field. A competency-based program focuses on an apprentice's ability to demonstrate competencies in an observable and measurable way for a specific subject or field of work. A time-based program measures skill acquisitions through the individual apprentice's completion of at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning as described in a work process schedule. To develop a better understanding between a pre-apprenticeship and a registered apprenticeship, we should go over a few key factors that differentiate the two programs. When discussing program lengths, pre-apprenticeships tend to be very short. The purpose is to be very introductory and go over basic skills in preparation for entry into an apprenticeship. However, registered apprenticeships can be longer programs designed to prepare apprentices to be work-ready. In regards to on-the-job training, pre-apprenticeships are not always paid. On the other hand, registered apprentices are paid employees while they train, which creates a bigger commitment for both the apprentice and the employer. At this point, you may be wondering, what is the difference between an internship and an apprenticeship? And I am here to highlight some of the key differences between both learning opportunities. Apprenticeships and internships both give you entry-level experience in a career. However, they work in different ways. An internship is three to six months long, can be paid or unpaid, supports classroom instruction, does not come with any certifications, and follows more of a learn-before-you-earn model. On the other hand, an apprenticeship is one to five years long, paid with wage progression, supports classroom instruction and on-the-job training, comes with portable industry-recognized certification, and follows more of a earn-while-you-learn model. It is also important for us to remember that internships can be anything because they are not well-defined and are usually more about exposure to a job or industry than true training. Apprenticeships, on the other hand, are a structured, defined model designed to prepare someone to enter a specific role in a field. Trust me, I know. I shared a lot of information about what a high-quality youth apprenticeship program entails, but don't worry, you are off to a great start. If you'd like to learn more, the resources linked below this video will provide more information about what a high-quality youth apprenticeship is. Head over to our next video to learn more about some of the guiding principles for designing a high-quality youth apprenticeship.