Governor Newsom celebrates National Apprenticeship Week, highlighting pathways connecting workers to good jobs

Mandy is a California Tooling & Machining Apprenticeship Association (CMTAA) machinist apprentice. She became a single mother after losing her fiancé unexpectedly and decided to find a lucrative career to support her family. She has always loved taking things apart and building and loved being able to earn a wage while learning the skills she needs to become a machinist.

“As an apprentice, I now work full-time. I now go to school full-time and I’m a full-time parent. So, it’s like three full-time jobs right there. Because I’m in this apprenticeship, I’m able to be sponsored to go to school and my boss has graciously worked around my hours.”

Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Career Education is devoted to expanding youth apprenticeships by enhancing career pathways in high school, strengthening workforce training for young people, and bolstering regional partnerships in communities. It also addresses removing barriers for opportunity youth seeking ways to gain skills before having obtained a college degree. 

Apprenticeships are central to the Jobs First Initiative, the state’s strategy to grow industries by leveraging the unique strengths of each region. Apprenticeship programs also align with several of California’s strategic sectors highlighted in the state’s Economic Blueprint including the high-tech, aerospace, healthcare, and education sectors. 

In alignment with Governor Newsom’s plan, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) has expanded apprenticeships and earn‑and‑learn opportunities to provide more Californians with a pathway to a good-paying job. These investments include: