Apprenticeships are workforce development programs which enable an individual to secure a well-paying job after a period of “learning and earning”. Apprenticeships pay individuals to do real work, under the guidance of experts who help them develop both their technical and their soft skills. They have historically been well-used in the construction industry and trades (such as carpentry or cement masonry), but they also make sense as ways individuals can enter other professions and industries. GCP is currently leading the effort in Greater Cleveland to establish more apprenticeships across a greater number of industries, to widen and diversity the talent available and ready to be successful for fulltime roles at greater Cleveland employers.
So what is a “pre-apprenticeship” program and why do we need them?
I like to put myself in the shoes of a young adult to better understand this question. I’ll pretend that I’m graduating from high school in the class of 2024. I’ve had some exposure to potential careers through school activities, partners such as Y.O.U., CollegeNow, or MAGNET. And I’m not immediately going to enroll in a 4 year university and might be interested to enter the construction trades.
I have heard that in these occupations, I can start building a skill and get paid while I work on real construction projects and sites; however, that’s about all I know. And, I know I need to select or pick one construction trade and go through that “earning and learning” for 3-5 years. That’s a long time. How will I ever know what is the right trade for me, of so many choices (carpentry, cement masonry, electrician, glazer, floor installation, plumbing, or any of the others)?
That’s where a pre-apprenticeship program is helpful. For those industries where there are many apprenticeship programs, which are similar but different (as occupations are similar but different), a “pre-apprenticeship” program enables those interested to get a deeper dive into those various apprenticeship programs, occupations, and career paths. Three excellent “pre-apprenticeship” programs in greater Cleveland include Cleveland Builds, the Tri-C Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Training, and the Spanish American Committee’s Latino Construction program. In these programs, individuals – thinking of our high school senior, or immediate graduate — learn more about the skills needed in the various occupations, determine where their own skills might be the best fit, and have the chance to “practice” some of the occupational work. They also get the chance to meet various individuals also working in the various occupations, understand their wage pathways by year in an apprenticeship program, become safety-certified, and perhaps most of all, get to know others also starting on this path. I can see how this is just the bridge needed from high school to a formal apprenticeship program.
As we strengthen our workforce ecosystem by building more apprenticeship programs, considering when we might need to build a “pre-apprenticeship” program, and how to do so, is also on our radar. And, a more urgent priority is this: making sure we increase awareness of these pre-apprenticeship programs for everyone who is connecting with high school students today in an advisory capacity. Please spread the word!