Youth Apprenticeship Pathways to Career: Leveraging Community Social Capital for Workforce Development

This qualitative single case study investigated how interagency collaboration contributed to the development, implementation, and sustainability of a youth apprenticeship program near the eastern coast of the United States. Informed by Woolcock’s (2001) bonding, bridging and linking social capital and qualitative methods, two research questions were used to guide this study: One, how do stakeholders in education and workforce development collaborate with employers to develop, advance, and sustain YA programs? Two, how can interagency collaboration aid the refinement of policy governing youth apprenticeship implementation? Findings showed that effective implementation depended on three interconnected factors: sustainable intermediary leadership, employer-driven sector partnerships, and sustained relational trust. Bonding capital supported mentor relationships and internal cohesion; bridging capital enabled cross-sector alignment in program design and logistics; and linking capital facilitated engagement with state agencies and policy systems to address structural barriers. Participants emphasized the importance of building institutional capacity within intermediary organizations to manage recruitment, compliance, and stakeholder coordination. This study affirms that interagency collaboration, when driven by trust, guided by intermediaries, and informed by social capital, can transform youth apprenticeships from isolated programs into a sustainable strategy for education-to-career alignment. The findings offer practical implications for youth apprenticeship- expansion and provide a foundation for future research into long-term outcomes and system level transformation.

Youth Apprenticeship, Youth in the Workforce, School to Career Education, Apprenticeship Pathways, Educational Ecosystems that Promote Positive Outcomes for Youth