Youth Programs

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) supports a wide variety of programs to ensure that all youth have the skills and training they need to successfully make the transition to adulthood and careers. These programs include:

  • Apprenticeship - Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation. Applicants for apprenticeship programs must be at least 16 years old and meet the program sponsor's qualifications.
  • Job Corps - Job Corps is the nation's largest and most comprehensive residential education and job training program for at-risk youth, ages 16 through 24. Private companies, state agencies, federal agencies, and unions recruit young people to participate in Job Corps, where they can train for and be placed in jobs.
  • YouthBuild - YouthBuild programs give at-risk youth ages 16-24 the opportunity to transform their lives by earning their high school diploma or state-recognized equivalency degree, learning to be community leaders, and preparing for college and other post-secondary training opportunities.
  • Youth Connections - The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 enacted a comprehensive youth employment program for serving eligible youth, ages 14-24, who face barriers to education, training, and employment.

For more information about youth grant programs, visit ETA's Division of Youth Services page.

Webpages on this Topic

Youth Programs - Provides news about, and links to, the Department's youth-related programs and services.