What if young people could earn a paycheck, build real skills, and start a career – all before finishing school? Youth apprenticeships make it possible, but too few young people can access these opportunities. In the fifth episode of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's series on what young people need to thrive, host Gloria Riviera speaks with two guests who are making the case for how apprenticeships can open doors to opportunity, mentorship and high-quality career pathways: Laura Burgher, an Annie E. Casey Foundation program associate, and Chris Grant, who started his Mastercard apprenticeship at 16 and is now a full-time product designer there.

This episode was made possible with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an organization that develops solutions to build a brighter future for children, youth, families and communities. Learn more at aecf.org.