Employer and intermediary investment and mentorship are front and center on signing day, signaling their commitment to the apprentice’s future. The celebration is often the start of a mentor relationship between the apprentice and their supervisor. Employers range from major companies like Accenture, Amazon, and Mercedes to small businesses taking on a handful of apprentices each year. During a July event at Say Yes Buffalo, one of the youth apprentices fell ill and couldn’t make it to their celebration day. The employer still attended, demonstrating strong support. The event underscored the camaraderie among employers and their dedication to the apprenticeship model.
Intermediaries also play a vital role in organizing and celebrating signing day, and in the youth apprenticeship ecosystem overall. Local and organizational celebrations are a perfect example. The twelfth annual Signing Day for Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships at Trident Technical College (TTC) on July 29, 2025, honored 130 youth apprentices signing with 52 employers across the tri-county area and drew nearly 500 attendees for the breakfast, program, and panel discussion. As a national PAYA partner, TTC’s model has become the gold standard for regional youth apprenticeships. National organizations like SkillsUSA also play a critical role—their National Signing Days in chapters across the United States honor more than 3,500 students each year, with that number expected to grow. These events celebrate students committing to skilled work, apprenticeships, certificates, or college programs in the skilled trades.
For many students, intermediary staff are the first people they meet on this journey and remain a key source of guidance and encouragement all the way through to completion. Their presence on signing day shows the apprentice, parent, and community that they are all in on apprenticeship.
2025-08-26 20:03:00