This report (published July 2024) explores key concepts and early evidence from the CareerWise New York program related to employer benefits through youth apprenticeship. Leveraging program data from the New York City flagship site, we first synthesize themes related to employer motivations for engagement and contextualize these findings within broader return on investment (ROI) measurement concepts and strategies. Then, we explore evidence of direct costs and benefits within the program; namely, we find CareerWise apprentices’ rate of progress toward Proficiency is outpacing the average rise in wages; notably, by exit, apprentices are 84% Proficiency across their skills bundles (a 34% improvement from entry) and earning 56.3% of the average entry-level FTE (a 4% wage increase from entry). Beyond direct benefits, we also present early positive results across a number of indirect employer benefits categories including company talent culture, community development, and managerial workforce development. These findings indicate that across diverse motivations for engaging in the program, CareerWise is delivering a number of benefits to employer partners that can be factored into individual firm ROI models. We conclude with opportunities for additional improvement including our training and supportive service infrastructure.
