The Lived Experiences Of Black, Male Youth Apprentices In Career And Technical Education Apprenticeship Programs

The lived experiences of three Black, male youth apprentices in North Carolina were told through a qualitative multi-case study. The participants in each case began recruitment for apprenticeship as a high school student though a pre-apprenticeship experience and were hired as full-time apprentices upon completing their program. All of the apprentices were exposed to career awareness activities that connected them to real-world experiences and career pathways before, during and after their recruitment. They also experienced economic mobility by choosing an apprenticeship pathway. Wrap-around services that included support from parents, school, work, other apprentices and the apprentices themselves sustained the apprentices and led to their persistence. The findings suggest that exposure to career awareness, the benefits of economic mobility and strategic supportive services support the recruitment and retention of Black, male youth apprentices.