On December 14, 125 students from 10 high schools in Frederick County were selected to attend the First Annual Youth Apprenticeship Summit at Frederick Community College.

FCPS is one of two counties in Maryland that pilots the Youth Apprenticeship program. This program allows students to work in a state-approved industry under the supervision of a mentor, where they learn valuable skills in a field that interests them.

An apprenticeship also offers compensation as well as opportunities to earn high school credit and industry credentials.

High school students who participate generally work a minimum of 450 hours in the summer after their junior year and leave campus part of the day during their senior year. During this time, they receive on-the-job training and regular classroom instruction, obtaining the knowledge and skills they would need to excel in their career field of choice.

In order to provide students with more information about what apprentices do and how to take the first step in applying for an apprenticeship, a few students from each of the FCPS high schools were selected to be present at the Youth Apprenticeship Summit, an annual event beginning this year.

“The Youth Apprenticeship Summit will give interested students an opportunity to learn all the details of the program, hear from local leaders in business, government, and education, take part in valuable career development workshops led by pros, have an opportunity to visit with employers in the program, and network with others during our business lunch,” said Mr. Jeremy Brown, the FCPS Youth Apprentice Teacher Coordinator and LHS staff member.

Upon arrival at FCC, juniors from all over Frederick County were greeted by community educational and business partners, who gave each of them a small goodie bag containing pamphlets of the program, stationary items such as pens and highlighters, as well as some snacks like granola bars and candy canes.

From there, they were directed into the auditorium of the Visual and Performing Arts Center on the campus and received pre-made name tags and personalized session schedules for the day.

The opening session began at 9:45 am in the auditorium, where many representatives from FCPS, including Superintendent Dr. Theresa R. Alban and Mr. Jeremy Brown, as well as officials from the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, the Department of Commerce, and the Maryland State Department of Education, all met to welcome the students to the summit and preface what they’d be doing throughout the day.

“You have made a wise choice by coming to today’s Youth Apprenticeship Summit. Participating in this option that Frederick County offers will give you an advantage over other candidates when seeking employment. Not only will you develop career specific skills but also, you will develop a network of professionals that can help you find employment. Youth Apprenticeship opportunities will provide you with valuable career skills that will help you succeed no matter what path you ultimately pursue. Please listen carefully to the information shared today by our teachers and guest speakers. Talk to potential employers during our learning lunch. FCPS strives to equip you with the useful knowledge that will help you to be college and career ready,” said Dr. Kristine H. Pearl, Supervisor of Career and Technology Education.

Throughout the morning, career professionals and business owners from around the area led seminars that taught students about the world of work, talking about what employers look for in potential job candidates and what the students had to do in order to achieve success in their desired career path.

When the sessions were complete, all attendees headed over to the Student Center, where they enjoyed a free lunch catered by Roy Rogers. Businesses and companies from around the area that were looking for youth apprentices had tables and banners set up around the room, and students could walk around to meet potential employers and ask questions about their offered apprenticeships.

“I really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet real businessmen and women and talk to them about me potentially working under their supervision. An apprenticeship is something that I am considering to pursue and this summit really opened up my eyes to the possibilities of what I could accomplish if I become an apprentice,” said Class of 2019 member, Alexis Keeling.

If you are interested in learning more about an apprenticeship that might interest you, please look at Current Youth Apprenticeship Openings and fill out an application if you decide that it’s the best step that you could take.