Workforce Development, Apprenticeships, and National Service

It’s National Apprenticeship Week (November 17-23, 2024)! Hosted by the US Department of Labor and ApprenticeshipUSA, this weeklong celebration showcases the value of Registered Apprenticeships in developing a highly skilled workforce that meets industry needs, creating pathways for career seekers to catapult into good jobs, advancing racial and gender equity, and strengthening the economy.

Many national service programs offer workforce development opportunities as a part of service, like the newly launched Youth Mental Health Corps, and in many respects, state service commissions are leading the charge. Below are some examples of commission supported, state-based workforce development initiatives.

California Volunteers

• Corps to Career, an initiative of California Volunteers and the Office of the Governor, supports California Volunteers Service Program Alumni with accessing careers with upward mobility.

Serve Colorado

• NEW! Just this week, Serve Colorado announced their newest Registered Apprenticeship, which focuses on regenerative agriculture and farmers in training.
• Through Colorado Public Health Works, AmeriCorps members can pursue certification as a Community Health Worker through a US Department of Labor registered apprenticeship.
• Serve Colorado partnered with several state agencies to create a quality credentialing framework.
• In 2023, Serve Colorado released a publication entitled “Registered Apprenticeships and AmeriCorps: A Case Study in Workforce Development.”
• Serve Colorado Executive Director John Kelly was a guest on an episode of the Apprenticeship 2.0 podcast to discuss the state’s work to expand workforce development opportunities.

Serve Kentucky

• Family Scholar House administers FSH Health Corps, an AmeriCorps program with over 200 members, as well as a healthcare-focused registered apprenticeship program. FSH Health Corps members have the option to participate in the apprenticeship program during their term of service. Approximately 40% of members complete their term of service with a job in the healthcare industry already secured.

New Jersey Commission on National and Community Service

• The Native American Advancement Corporation in rural Bridgeton, NJ is launching an arborist apprenticeship program and currently bringing on its first group of members.

PennSERVE

• PowerCorpsPHL engages out-of-school or out-of-work 18–30-year-olds in an immersive, paid 4-to-24-month program that results in connecting to living wage jobs in green energy infrastructure and community-based careers. Members engage in crew-based services, supporting community green spaces, water systems, and urban farmers in Philadelphia.
• The AmeriCorps Digital Service Fellows pre-apprenticeship program provides recent high school graduates the opportunity to serve in the Philadelphia school district for a full year under the direct mentoring of a digital literacy teacher. AmeriCorps members learn the ins and outs of digital literacy skills and technology support and gain on-the-job training toward information technology industry certifications. Members can apply for a registered apprenticeship program upon completion of their term of service.

Serve Virginia

• Serve Virginia recently released a policy brief entitled “Advancing Virginia’s Workforce Through AmeriCorps.”

Interested in developing apprenticeship opportunities in your state or territory? Consider joining the National Governors Association’s new service-to-career pathways policy academy and community of practice. Selected states and territories will receive a grant of up to $50,000 and 12 months of technical assistance. Apply by November 22.