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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Evidence Tools
MCHbest. Adult Mentor.

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Strategy. Youth Apprenticeship Initiatives

Approach. Create youth apprenticeship initiatives to provide adult mentors to adolescents.

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Overview. Youth apprenticeship programs provide high school students with professional opportunities that combine academic and on-the-job training and mentorship. Apprenticeships include classroom-based vocational education in a high school or technical college setting that is related to paid on-the-job work and connects participants to instructors who also act as mentors. Youth apprenticeships are offered in a variety of fields. Training requirements and applicable government or industry-recognized standards vary by field.[1, 2] Most formalized apprenticeships in the United States serve adults who have graduated from high school, often through Registered Apprenticeship programs.[3]

Evidence. Expert Opinion. Strategies with this rating are recommended by credible, impartial experts...

Access the peer-reviewed evidence through the MCH Digital Library or related evidence source.

Outcome Components. This strategy has shown to have impact on the following outcomes (Read more about these categories):

  • Utilization. This strategy improves the extent to which individuals and communities use available healthcare services.
  • Health and Health Behaviors/Behavior Change. This strategy improves individuals' physical and mental health and their adoption of healthy behaviors (e.g., healthy eating, physical activity).

Detailed Outcomes. For specific outcomes related to each study supporting this strategy, access the peer-reviewed evidence and read the Intervention Results for each study.

Intervention Type. Community Organizing (Read more about intervention types and levels as defined by the Public Health Intervention Wheel).

Intervention Level. Individual/Family-Focused

Examples from the Field. There are currently no ESMs that use this strategy. Search similar intervention components in the ESM database.

Sample ESMs. Here are sample ESMs to use as models for your own measures using the RBA framework (see The Role of Title V in Adapting Strategies).

Quadrant 1:
Measuring Quantity of Effort (“What/how much did we do?”)

  • Number of youth apprenticeship initiatives created that include adult mentorship components. (Shows the implementation and scale of the approach) Number of employers or worksites engaged as partners in providing youth apprenticeship and mentorship opportunities. (Indicates the level of community and industry involvement in the approach)

Quadrant 2:
Measuring Quality of Effort (“How well did we do it?”)

  • Percent of youth apprenticeship placements that align with adolescents' expressed career interests and goals. (Shows the personalization and youth-centered nature of the approach) Percent of mentor-mentee matches in youth apprenticeship initiatives that meet or exceed the program's recommended frequency and duration of interactions. (Indicates the dosage and consistency of mentorship delivery)

Quadrant 3:
Measuring Quantity of Effect (“Is anyone better off?”)

  • Number of cross-sector partnerships (e.g., education, industry, workforce development) established to support the design, implementation, and sustainability of youth apprenticeship initiatives with mentorship components that results in measurable impact indicators. (Shows the level of multi-partner collaboration and buy-in for the approach) Number of professional development and peer learning opportunities provided to adult mentors in youth apprenticeship initiatives that result in enhanced mentorship skills. (Indicates the ongoing support and capacity-building for mentors) Number of youth apprenticeship initiatives that secure sustainable funding and resources to continue providing mentorship and career development opportunities to adolescents. (Shows the long-term viability and scalability of the approach) Number of policies or system-level changes enacted to support the expansion and institutionalization of youth apprenticeship initiatives with mentorship components. (Indicates the approach's impact on driving broader workforce development and education reforms)

Quadrant 4:
Measuring Quality of Effect (“How are they better off?”)

  • Percent of youth apprenticeship initiatives that actively recruit and engage adult mentors from multiple backgrounds and industries to reflect the identities and aspirations of the adolescents served. (Shows the representativeness of the mentor pool) Percent of youth apprenticeship initiatives that engage adolescents and their families as co-designers and decision-makers in shaping the program's mentorship and career development activities. (Indicates the level of youth voice and leadership in the approach) Percent reduction in differences in youth apprenticeship participation, completion, and post-program outcomes across all groups. (Shows the approach's impact reducing opportunity gaps for youth) Percent of employers and community partners who report increased recognition of the value and untapped potential of youth as a result of their involvement in youth apprenticeship initiatives and mentorship. (Indicates the approach's impact on shifting societal attitudes and creating a bigger talent pipeline)

Note. When looking at your ESMs, SPMs, or other strategies:

  1. Move from measuring quantity to quality.
  2. Move from measuring effort to effect.
  3. Quadrant 1 strategies should be used sparingly, when no other data exists.
  4. The most effective measurement combines strategies in all levels, with most in Quadrants 2 and 4.

Learn More. Read how to create stronger ESMs and how to measure ESM impact more meaningfully through Results-Based Accountability.

References

[1] Bulanda 2015 - Bulanda JJ, Tellis D, Tyson McCrea K. Cocreating a social work apprenticeship with disadvantaged African American youth: A best-practices after-school curriculum. Smith College Studies in Social Work. 2015;85(3):285-310.

2 Abell-Lerman 2015 - Lerman RI, Packer A. Youth apprenticeship: A hopeful approach for improving outcomes for Baltimore youth. The Abell Report. 2015;28(2).

3 Eichorst 2015 - Eichhorst W, Rodriguez-Planas N, Schmidl R, Zimmermann KF. A road map to vocational education and training in industrialized countries. ILR Review. 2015;68(2):314-337.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy, $3.5 M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.