Youth apprenticeship is an exciting part of the growing work-based learning landscape in New Mexico. Programs like Future Focused Education’s X3 NeXt Youth Apprenticeship program pave the way for students to succeed in their careers while also helping employers find local talent.

Recently, we’ve seen national education leaders reject standardized tests, but Future Focused wanted to see what New Mexican educators, leaders, and students were saying too—so we asked them. This is what they had to say.