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Corona-Norco Unified highlights expansion of youth apprenticeship program, says district now hosts dozens of apprentices
Summary
District officials told the board the youth-apprenticeship program has grown to 24 apprentices in CNUSD this year, compared with 13 high-school apprentices statewide last year, and described partnerships with Launch, Norco College, RCOE and local businesses to register and place students in paid work-based learning.
The Corona-Norco Unified School District presented its youth-apprenticeship expansion to the school board, saying the program now supports hands-on, paid work placements tied to Career Technical Education pathways.
Rob Ibbitson, the district's CTE coordinator (as introduced in the meeting), told the board that apprenticeship is “the gold standard for work-based learning” and that CNUSD will employ roughly 24 apprentices this year — a substantial increase from the 13 high-school apprentices statewide last school year. He said apprentices are paid district employees in some pathways and that most placements occur at private companies with industry mentors.
Ibbitson described partnerships that help run and register apprenticeships: Launch (which assists district staff with paperwork for Department of Labor registration), local firms (architecture and cabinetmaking firms), RCOE and Norco College. He said Launch hired two CNUSD students directly as employees and that the district covers general liability and workers’ compensation for placements to reduce business liability concerns.
Two student apprentices, Mariana Salgado and Aaliyah Bowers, spoke briefly about their experience: “Joining Launch has encouraged us to continue advocating for apprenticeship,” Mariana said, calling the opportunity life-changing for students who do not pursue a traditional four-year college route.
Board members asked how the district intends to scale the program. Ibbitson said student demand is not the limiting factor; rather, the primary barriers are small businesses’ concerns about liability and the financial or administrative burden of taking on youth employees. He recommended outreach to chambers of commerce and continued work with CTE teachers and advisory committees to build relationships with employers.
The presentation also noted that registered apprenticeships count toward the state's College and Career Indicator (CCI) without requiring an additional “plus one” performance metric for students, effectively recognizing apprenticeship as meeting preparation criteria.
The board applauded the district's effort and invited staff to bring the apprenticeship program to local chambers and business groups to expand employer participation. The district did not vote on new policy at the meeting; the presentation was informational.
