Apprenticeships on the rise

BMW’s Rising Scholars program lets 12th-graders launch a pre-apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing, including paid work and training, while finishing high school. The German-style learn-and-earn model is building a skilled workforce in South Carolina, reports Vicki Phillips in Forbes.

BMW Manufacturing's Spartanburg plant has been working with local community colleges for years. Now it's starting earlier.

BMW Manufacturing is hiring and training high school seniors through its Rising Scholars program.

Many young people are wary of college costs and eager to start earning, reports CNBC's Jessica Dickler.

They "are choosing career-connected pathways." “The reality is, as air conditioning and plumbing companies, we are desperate for labor,” says Tom Howard of Lee's Air. “It’s a massive problem.” His company trains and hires new workers.

Youth apprenticeships grew by 70 percent between 2011 and 2020, according to Jobs for the Future (JFF). However, less than 2 percent of young Americans enter apprenticeships each year.