A new statewide report showed California could dramatically scale up youth apprenticeship programs to strengthen the workforce and close persistent skills gaps.
Labor educators in Southern California said the findings reflect what they see daily: Young people need earlier access to hands-on training and clearer pathways to good jobs. The California Youth Apprenticeship Committee report recommends creating more bridges from high school to registered apprenticeship programs, expanding college-connected pathways and ensuring supportive services for those who are out of school.
David Espinoza, executive director of the Laborers Training Trust, said the programs give young people a practical onramp to careers which might otherwise feel out of reach.
“Apprenticeships are extremely important for the simple purpose of opportunity,” Espinoza explained. “Typically most people aren’t born with that skill set. There’s a lot of things to learn, from safety to actually unique skills associated with those different types of work projects.”
The report noted 32% of California apprentices are between ages 16 and 24, and estimates the state could grow to serve up to 650,000 apprentices overall. The recommendations align with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s workforce strategy to expand nondegree career pathways.
Training staff said the need is about more than filling job openings, it is about making sure young people enter the field confident and prepared.
James Smith, a longtime instructor and now training manager at the Laborers Training School in Azusa, said students benefit from using real tools and techniques long before they arrive on a job site.
“It was great practice for them,” Smith emphasized. “They actually learned something they could take right to the field, and the bosses recognized ’em, and our main thing is about safety.”
For students nearing completion, the pathway feels transformative.
Lonnell McTier, a construction apprentice finishing his final class, said the program has opened doors he never had before.
“You have a career to lean on; ultimately you’re making a lot of money,” McTier stressed. “It’s just a great opportunity, and a good experience for somebody that doesn’t mind working with their hands or being physically in the field.”
The report urged the state to invest in early career exposure programs, supportive services and regional intermediaries to help more young people on apprenticeship pathways, especially women, foster youth and formerly incarcerated people. Labor educators said expanding capacity now will be essential to meeting California’s future workforce needs.
