The  FCPS Youth Apprentice Program is for FCPS  11th and 12th grade students who want to gain experience in the workplace with plans to continue in that industry after graduation! These students "Earn while they Learn" at a worksite alongside a mentor with a training plan, receive related classroom instruction, earn weighted school credit, and a Skills Certificate from the Maryland Department of Labor upon completion of 450-hours prior to graduation. 

The program gives a unique opportunity for business to build a pipeline of young talent through mentorship, reducing turnover and decreasing costs. Participating employers are approved through the Maryland Department of Labor. These employers provide a minimum of 450-hours of paid, structured, on the job training and a qualified mentor for Youth Apprentices. 

As this program aligns with our school semesters, students apply prior to the start of Fall, Spring, or Summer semester.  A Find out First announcement will be sent announcing deadline dates and they are published on the Current Openings page here.  

Prior to each semester, a listing of open apprentice positions at area employers is published here. Interested students must submit an application packet through their high school's Work Based Learning (WBL) Coordinator, NOT the employer. Interviews and hiring decisions will by made by employers to coincide with the beginning of the semester.

If a student is hired, he or she  spend part of the school day employed in a paid, part-time position under the cooperative supervision of the employer/mentor and the WBL. Most students are scheduled in apprenticeships for two 90-minute periods of a school day. Students will work with their WBL, employer, and parents to get the proper paperwork completed and school schedule arranged prior to start date. Apprentices are responsible for arranging their own transportation. 
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The Youth Apprentice Program is designed for the student to complete 450-hours total over summer and the school year while attending required school courses, and receive related educational training at school to earn a Skills Certificate from the Maryland DOL.  The expectation for minimum number of hours per week is connected to the number of credits the student is earning from the school system.  Generally, a student needs to work a minimum of 15+ hours per week to earn 2 weighted credits in the school year. Students  most likely do 20+ hours a week during summer semester, and work 15+ during the school year. 

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