New Mexico Launches First-Ever Youth Apprenticeship Program Innovative Work-Based Learning Initiative Provides Debt-Free Path to Career Success

SANTA FE, N.M. (5/6/24) – The New Mexico State Apprenticeship Council approved Future Focused Education to establish and operate the state's first "youth apprenticeship program." The X3 NeXt Youth Apprenticeship initiative represents an innovative work-based learning model that combines paid on-the-job training with related classroom instruction, allowing students to gain critical professional experience and earn debt-free college credits toward an associate's degree or industry certification. While all registered apprenticeship programs are open to youths, "youth apprenticeship programs" focus specifically on creating opportunities for people ages 16 to 24.

"We applaud Future Focused Education for the X3 initiative, which recognizes that young people need a combination of education, job experience and supportive services to be successful in their careers," said Sarita Nair, Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. "This model plays a vital role in preparing the young people of New Mexico, and the initial project management program will create a pathway to a career that is in high demand, in a variety of our priority sectors. "

"This youth apprenticeship program represents a paradigm shift in how we prepare young people for success in the modern workforce," said Lisa Harmon-Martínez, Director of Learning by Doing at Future Focused Education. "By experiencing the best of academic and workplace environments, youth apprentices can explore in-demand career paths, develop highly marketable skills alongside professional mentors, and get a head start on their college education – all while earning a paycheck."

The youth apprenticeship model integrates four key components:

- Paid, on-the-job learning under the mentorship of skilled professionals

- Rigorous, credit-bearing coursework aligned to industry standards  

- Ongoing competency assessments to validate skills mastery

- Culmination in a portable, industry-recognized credential 

This first X3 NeXt Youth Apprenticeship position is for a Project Management Specialist and requires a minimum of 144 hours of related instruction. Throughout the two-year apprenticeship, students will split time between the workplace and classroom, taking relevant classes at Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) such as "Fundamentals of Information Literacy and Systems" and "Budget and Resource Management," while applying what they are learning in their coursework to the work they do at Future Focused Education. The apprenticeship is competency-based, meaning students will work toward achieving specific competencies outlined for a Project Management Specialist Youth Apprenticeship.