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Pre-apprenticeship programs: what they are and how to find one

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026

What a pre-apprenticeship is

DOL's definition: "Pre-apprenticeship is a program or set of strategies designed to prepare individuals for entry into Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP) or other job opportunities." A registered apprenticeship is a paid job with classroom training, run under standards approved by DOL or a state; see how to get an apprenticeship.

Federal rules give two fuller definitions:

• The workforce training rules (20 CFR 681.480) say a pre-apprenticeship prepares people "to enter and succeed in" a registered apprenticeship and includes training that matches local employers' needs, counseling and "other supportive services," hands-on learning, "Opportunities to attain at least one industry-recognized credential," and "A partnership with one or more registered apprenticeship programs that assists in placing individuals who complete the pre-apprenticeship program."
• The apprenticeship equal-opportunity rules (29 CFR 30.2) describe a program built "to assist individuals who do not currently possess the minimum requirements for selection into an apprenticeship program to meet the minimum selection criteria," with "at least one documented partnership with a Registered Apprenticeship program." It can be run by "an employer, employer group, industry association, labor union, community-based organization, or educational institution."

In other words: if you lack something apprenticeship programs ask for (math, a credential, basic tool skills, work habits), a pre-apprenticeship is designed to fill that gap. [1][3][6]

DOL's elements of a quality pre-apprenticeship

DOL lists six elements of "a quality pre-apprenticeship program":

• Approved curriculum: "Training that is based on industry standards and approved by a RAP partner."
• Simulated experience: "Hands-on training or volunteer opportunities that do not displace paid employees."
• Facilitated entry: "Agreements with RAP sponsors that allow program participants to enter directly into a RAP."
• Increased access: recruiting and preparing "a large number of apprentices."
• Supportive services: "Wrap-around services or referrals to help participants complete the program (e.g childcare, transportation)."
• Sustainable partnerships: working with partners to promote registered apprenticeship to other employers.

DOL's original 2012 notice on quality pre-apprenticeship (Training and Employment Notice 13-12) is now marked "Rescinded" on DOL's site. The six elements above are what DOL's pre-apprenticeship page lists today, and the regulation definitions above are still in force. [2][3][7]

Who pre-apprenticeships are for

By the federal definition, people who don't yet meet an apprenticeship's minimum requirements. Individual programs aim at particular groups:

• YouthBuild: "opportunity youth ages 16-24 who left school without a secondary diploma."
• Job Corps: "low-income young adults ages 16 through 24."
• Apprenticeship Readiness Programs (MC3): "young people and transitioning adults."
• Illinois Works pre-apprenticeship: "All Illinois residents are welcome with an emphasis on women, people of color and veterans."
• Washington's recognized preparation programs are "designed to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in Registered Apprenticeship."

Adults and career changers can enroll too: MC3 programs name "transitioning adults," and the Illinois Works program at Danville Area Community College requires that you be 18, an Illinois resident and hold "a High School Diploma or GED." [4][5][6][8][9][10][11]

Examples run by official bodies

Federal programs. DOL calls YouthBuild and Job Corps "federal Pre-Apprenticeship programs."

• YouthBuild is "a community-based pre-apprenticeship program." Participants split their time between a construction work site, where they build or rehab affordable housing, and the classroom, "where they earn their high school diploma or equivalency." DOL says it serves "more than 5,000 youth in approximately 200 YouthBuild programs in more than 40 states."
• Job Corps is "the nation's largest free, residential career training and education program" for ages 16 through 24, with training in fields including construction. DOL says students get "room and board" and can train "for up to three years," and that graduates go on to work, "an apprenticeship," college or the military. Check before you plan on it: in May 2025 DOL announced a "phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide." Job Corps' own site still says "Apply Now" and lists "120+" campuses, so ask a Job Corps admissions representative whether a center near you is enrolling.

Building trades unions (MC3). The Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) was "launched by NABTU [North America's Building Trades Unions] and industry partners in 2008." TradesFutures, a national nonprofit that develops courses for these programs, describes MC3 as "a standardized, comprehensive, 120-hour construction course designed to help young people and transitioning adults choose and succeed in registered apprenticeship programs," taught at more than 200 Apprenticeship Readiness Programs "across 34 states." See TradesFutures' Apprenticeship Readiness Programs.

State apprenticeship agencies. Washington's apprenticeship council recognizes preparation programs that "maintain formal articulation agreement(s) with one or more Registered Apprenticeship program sponsors," and Washington L&I publishes the list of recognized programs, which includes a community college construction trades program (Edmonds) and a public school district (Federal Way).

Community colleges. DOL notes that "Many successful Pre-Apprenticeship programs are housed at high schools and community colleges." Two examples:

• Danville Area Community College (Illinois) runs an Illinois Works pre-apprenticeship: 185 hours covering construction math, hand and power tools, safety, construction drawings and work-based learning, with the NCCER Core Curriculum, OSHA 10-Hour Construction and First Aid/CPR certifications.
• Hagerstown Community College (Maryland) offers a two-course program covering the NCCER core curriculum that it says "will prepare individuals for Registered Apprenticeship" in HVAC, electrical, plumbing and carpentry.

[2][4][5][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

What it costs, and whether you're paid

DOL says pre-apprenticeships "may or may not include wages or stipend." Costs vary a lot:

• Free: Job Corps is free and includes "tuition-free housing, meals, basic health care, a living allowance." Illinois Works says its pre-apprenticeship is "FREE," with tuition and fees "entirely grant-funded," and that students "will earn money while attending class." Its 2026 information sheet says the stipends "are paid based on participant performance including attending mandatory sessions and passing module assignments."
• Tuition with possible scholarships: Hagerstown Community College's spring 2027 schedule lists Construction Trades Core Part 1 at "$380" and Part II at "$243." Its scholarship page says scholarships "may cover all or part of the program cost" and that applicants must complete the WorkKeys assessment before registering.
• Help with barriers: the Illinois Works program lists transportation, housing and childcare assistance and math and reading tutoring.

Ask any program about cost before you enroll. Washington's council treats "The cost of the program to participants" as something it reviews when recognizing a program. [1][4][5][9][11][12][16][17]

Does finishing get you into an apprenticeship?

Not automatically. What finishing gets you depends on the program's agreements with apprenticeship sponsors:

• DOL's quality elements call for "Agreements with RAP sponsors that allow program participants to enter directly into a RAP," and the federal definition requires a partnership that "assists in placing" graduates.
• Washington spells out the possible benefits. "Preferred-entry" must give "a tangible and specific benefit," such as "Additional points awarded in the application and/ or interview scoring process" or "A guaranteed interview." "Advanced standing or credit" can mean credit for classroom or on-the-job hours, or a higher starting wage step. Recognized programs must aim for at least "15% of the graduates" entering apprenticeship within 12 months, which shows that entry is a goal, not a guarantee.
• Illinois Works says "The program's goal is to help participants enter registered apprenticeship programs" and offers résumé help, mock interviews and application assistance.

So before you sign up, ask: Which apprenticeship programs do you have agreements with? Do graduates get a guaranteed interview, extra points or credit? How many graduates got into an apprenticeship last year? [2][3][4][5]

How to find one

• DOL's Partner Finder. DOL tells career seekers to search it "to see sponsors that may offer a Pre-Apprenticeship program."
• Your state apprenticeship office. Find it on DOL's State Offices page and ask whether the state recognizes or lists pre-apprenticeship programs, as Washington does.
• YouthBuild and Job Corps if you are 16 to 24 (for Job Corps, confirm a center near you is enrolling).
• Union building trades: ask local union training centers (see how to get an apprenticeship for locators) whether they work with an Apprenticeship Readiness Program.
• Community colleges and American Job Centers. An American Job Center can help with training, and federal workforce rules say Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) "can be used to support placing participants in registered apprenticeship through" pre-apprenticeship training. See paying for trade training.

Other ways in: helper jobs and vocational school. [2][8][9][10][13][15][18][19][20]

Questions people ask