Mayor Adams Announces First-Ever “Youth Apprentice” Civil Service Title to Help Young New Yorkers Join City Agencies More Easily

NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced a new "Youth Apprentice" civil service title, a first-of-its-kind pathway to help young New Yorkers launch good-paying careers in city agencies more easily. Apprentices will receive on-the-job training in municipal agencies, classroom learning, and mentorship support - all while earning a competitive wage with benefits and annual increases, in addition to gaining the experience needed to qualify for higher-level, permanent civil service titles. Up to 500 young adults at a time will be hired into the Youth Apprentice title for up to six years across city agencies. The partnership between the New York City Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYC Talent), the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), and New York City Public Schools will give the next generation of public servants the experience and skills required for a career in city government, while helping agencies attract, develop, and retain a qualified workforce to serve New Yorkers.

"Our city is full of talented and driven young people ready to seize the next opportunity - but, too often, those opportunities never come. With this groundbreaking city agency apprenticeship, we'll change that, giving hundreds of young New Yorkers the chance to more easily start their careers and serve their city. We'll create meaningful apprenticeships with good wages and help young people build real futures," said Mayor Adams. "Our administration has not only shattered the record for the most jobs and small businesses in city history over and over again; we're laying the foundation for the good-paying jobs of tomorrow and bolstering our public workforce to give New Yorkers the services they need."

"The apprenticeship model is the gold standard for training and retaining a skilled workforce, and today's historic announcement will provide young New Yorkers with pathways to good-paying, public-service careers and economic mobility," said NYC Talent Executive Director Doug Lipari. "By working with our city partners on this innovative civil service title, we've taken a major step towards helping reach our moonshot goal of connecting 30,000 New Yorkers to apprenticeships by 2030 and ensuring the next generation of public servants is well positioned to meet the needs of our city."

"The new civil service youth title opens new doors for young adults to get a head start in the workplace," said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion, Jr. "By creating avenues for students to learn new skills and pursue professional opportunities aligned with their interests, we build a more inclusive and robust workforce. I commend the team at NYC Talent, DCAS, and New York City Public Schools for their hard work on this important milestone."

"Today's announcement reaffirms the city's deep commitment to investing in our students by empowering and positioning them to pursue careers in public service," said Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. "By expanding opportunities for young people to gain hands-on experience across city agencies, we are cultivating the next generation of talented civic leaders who will continue shape the future of our communities."

"Today's announcement marks a major milestone in how we connect young New Yorkers to meaningful careers in public service," said DCAS Commissioner Louis A. Molina. "The Youth Apprentice title will not only open doors to stable, good-paying jobs, but also help city agencies build a stronger, more diverse workforce equipped to meet the challenges of tomorrow. At DCAS, we value investing in people and creating pathways that empower New Yorkers to grow, contribute, and serve their communities with pride."

Today's announcement builds on the Adams administration's ongoing efforts to expand apprenticeships and connect more young New Yorkers to good-paying careers. In his 2023 State of the City address, Mayor Adams announced his moonshot goal that would deliver 30,000 apprenticeships by 2030. In December 2023, Mayor Adams released his Citywide Action Plan to Build Inclusive Career Pathways for Young People, a $600 million investment aimed at preparing the city's future workforce by supporting training and career development opportunities for 250,000 young New Yorkers through the creation of more paid apprenticeships. By the end of 2024, the city was over halfway to Mayor Adams' moonshot goal set less than two years earlier, with more than 15,000 apprenticeships already delivered through a suite of initiatives.

Today's announcement also builds on the recent success of the city's Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship Program - a partnership between New York City Public Schools and CareerWise New York - that places public school juniors and seniors into paid, multi-year apprenticeships at public and private employers, including nearly 200 young people at city agencies since 2023. The Youth Apprentices title will further advance these commitments and help position more youth for career success.

"This Youth Apprenticeship initiative will introduce students to the job opportunities available in local government, rounding out the robust program of career pathways that the Adams Administration has established with business and nonprofit institutions," said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO, Partnership of New York City. "Students in our public schools deserve exposure to all their options, and city government needs access to the best homegrown talent. This is a win-win proposition."

"This new civil service apprenticeship pathway is a powerful example of how cities can use apprenticeship to modernize hiring, diversify their workforce, and open new doors for young people. New York City is setting a national precedent for what it looks like when public systems align education and work to create lasting economic opportunity," said Brent Parton, president, CareerWise. "Apprenticeships are more than a workforce strategy - they're a city-building strategy. By creating a pathway for young New Yorkers to serve their communities while developing high-demand skills, this initiative strengthens both the city's talent pipeline and its civic fabric. It's exactly the kind of bold investment that keeps New York moving forward."

"Young New Yorkers have the talent and ambition - what they need are the skills, pathways, and real opportunities to succeed. The Youth Apprenticeship Civil Service title is a vital step toward that goal, enabling high school students to gain paid, hands-on experience in city agencies while keeping college and career advancement in reach. As technology and AI rapidly reshape the world of work, we must modernize our education and training systems by integrating these innovations with time-tested, cost-effective experiences - such as apprenticeships - to equip young people to learn faster, more affordably, and in ways that align with real-world demand," said Judy Dimon, president, James & Judith K. Dimon Foundation. "We applaud NYC Talent, DCAS, New York City Public Schools, and CareerWise for this milestone - proving that when systems adapt, apprenticeships can truly unlock opportunity and strengthen our city's future workforce."

Contact:Anessa HodgsonAssistant Commissioner, Public [email protected]