Youth apprenticeships provide a viable solution nationwide for offering high school students meaningful work, particularly in rural settings. These programs are more than just a job. Youth apprenticeship fosters a cooperative relationship among the apprentice, their school, their business, and the intermediary, all working together to build the apprentice into the best they can be. All of this is even more important in rural communities where opportunities can be slim. Young people in rural areas deserve the same opportunities to explore and promote themselves as those in cities and suburbs. They deserve to dream big.

Youth apprenticeship is transformative. I should know, as I am a graduated human resources and business youth apprentice. I also know that I was extremely lucky to have that opportunity as a rural resident. So, as a member of the PAYA Youth Council, I was eager for an opportunity to not only tell my story but also highlight the absence of stories like mine for the 11 to 12 million children and teenagers in rural America. That’s why it’s so important to recognize the successes and steps being taken towards expanding youth apprenticeship in rural places, just like the two featured programs mentioned below are doing.

Reach Higher Montana

Intermediary Name: Reach Higher Montana
Location: Helena, MT
Service Area: Montana
Program Total Enrollment: 12

As a former school superintendent, Jason Butcher is deeply committed to the well-being of students. His transition from schools to Reach Higher Montana (RHM), therefore, made perfect sense. RHM is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help Montana’s high schoolers be successful, regardless of the path they choose: higher education, military service, apprenticeship, or the workforce. In his position as Outreach Director, Butcher serves as a liaison between students and their educational goals. When RHM decided to tackle youth apprenticeship, he was the perfect candidate to support the program.

Read the full article about rural youth apprenticeship programs by Ev Zaruba at New America.