The opening keynote will highlight voices from leaders in the national movement to advance youth apprenticeship. 

Mary Thornley, President, Trident Technical College
Keynote: Angela Hanks, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor

Led by Trident Technical College, Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships is a national leader in the field of youth apprenticeship. This session will cover the origins of their program and explore how their regional partnership approach delivers results for both youth and employers.

Melissa Stowasser, Assistant VP of Community Partnerships, Trident Technical College

Mitchell Harp, Dean, Apprenticeship &  Employer Partnerships, Trident Technical College

Tanisha Seraphin, Dean, School & Community Initiatives, Trident Technical College

Youth apprentices juggle high school commitments, college courses, and work within a structured, supportive program setting. But how--and why--do they make it work? This session will feature the voices of current and former CRYA youth apprentices and their family members. Hear their perspectives on the benefits, challenges, and surprises of youth apprenticeship and their thoughts on how apprenticeship has expanded their options for the future.

Moderator: Elena Silva, Director of PreK-12 Education, New America
Zachary Zanowski, Manufacturing Engineering Technician and former Machine Tool Technology Youth Apprentice, Lincoln Electric 
Pam Zanowski, Parent
Keri Sheffield, Former Automotive Youth Apprentice, Gerald’s Tires & Brakes
Drake Head, Former Engineering Assistant, KION
Amber Gillard, Pharmacy Technician Youth Apprentice, Roper St. Francis
Sonya Addison-Stewart, Parent
Jordan Stewart, Current Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning  Youth Apprentice, Berkeley County Government
Evan Reich, Parent 

Leaders from several of Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship’s local employer partners will discuss how youth apprenticeship fits into their strategies for developing talent. Hear their perspectives on how youth apprenticeship can deliver benefits to their companies by helping them build a pipeline of young, diverse talent and by fostering a culture of learning and innovation that attracts and retains employees.

Moderator: Eric Seleznow, Senior Advisor and Director, JFF's Center for Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning

David Brown, Director, Human Resources, KION North America Corporation
Don Drake, Culinary Arts Director, Magnolias
Debbie McLeod, President/Co-Founder, McLeod Information Systems, LLC
Roanna Payne, Generalist Clinical Professional Educator, Trident Medical Health
Don Smith, Director - Community Relations, Hendrick Charleston

High-quality youth apprenticeship allows high school age students to combine practical, on-the-job learning with related academic instruction that culminates in post-secondary credits and credentials of value. Designing and implementing seamless pathways that connect this learning requires coordination across multiple employer and education partners. In this session Trident Technical College and several of the Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship program’s partner districts will share their experiences and explore strategies for aligning K-12 and higher education resources to support program development and scale.

Moderator: Mimi Lufkin, CEO Emerita, National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity
Sonya Addison-Stewart, Director, Career & Technical Education, Berkeley County School District
Mark Blacklocke, Career & Technology Education Coordinator, Dorchester School District 2
Robert Elliott, Dean, Manufacturing & Maintenance, Trident Technical College
Richard Gordon, Executive Director, Career & Technology Education, Charleston County School District
Patricia Weeg, Director of School Counseling, Cane Bay High School, Berkeley County School District

Despite the remarkable impact and growth of programs like CRYA, youth apprenticeship remains an underutilized strategy in the United States. What is it going to take to make models like the Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships more mainstream? This session will feature state and national leaders’ perspectives on how to build more programs, establish systems to connect and support them, and pursue sustainability at scale.

Moderator: Taylor White, National Director of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship, New America 
Amy Firestone, Vice President, Apprenticeship Carolina

John Ladd, Administrator for the Office of Apprenticeship, Employment Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor

Melissa Stowasser, Assistant VP of Community Partnerships, Trident Technical College

Join other youth apprenticeship leaders in informal, small-group discussions on the day’s key topics. Participants will have an opportunity to learn from others’ work, exchange ideas in building and scaling high-quality youth apprenticeship opportunities.