Pre-apprenticeships prepare individuals for full-time internships in various sectors, including construction, mechanics, and blacksmithing. The programs provide real-life knowledge and experience, helping participants secure competitive apprenticeships or jobs. There are two types of pre-apprenticeships: one for teenagers and one for those aged 21 and over. To obtain a pre-apprenticeship, individuals must apply to an employer or recruiter and complete a program that typically lasts two years.
A pre-apprenticeship is a preparatory program that brings together people who want to enroll in full-time internships in certain sectors or activities. Construction workers, electricians, painters and drywall finishers often benefit from pre-apprenticeships. People aspiring to become bricklayers, roofers, blacksmiths and steam fitters can also participate in pre-apprenticeships; as well as diesel and car mechanics. Pre-apprenticeship programs equip workers with real-life knowledge and experience that can help them land a competitive apprenticeship or job.
Unlike many professions, where aspirants pursue four-year degrees, blue-collar workers often complete four-year apprenticeships that include academic training and paid work experience. Individuals who enroll in a pre-apprenticeship get a head start on success as an apprentice by learning prerequisite skills, gaining an overview of day-to-day expectations in their targeted professional field, and learning strategies to be selected in formal apprenticeships. Viewed as the first step in a worker’s career, a preparatory apprenticeship often pays sub-professional wages. After pre-apprenticeship, however, a worker can become an apprentice, which pays more, and finally a traveler, which pays even more.
Due to the focus on job readiness, pre-learning includes an extensive amount of on-the-job visits, during which participants witness job skills being performed in real life. Often these visits involve individual job shadowing, in which aspiring workers are individually matched against veterans in their desired occupation. When not on construction sites, factories, factories or other places absorbing experiential knowledge, members of preparatory learning programs spend time in a classroom or lab with certified instructors learning from manuals and simulated work situations.
There are typically two main types of pre-apprenticeship programs and they are geared towards different demographics. One type is aimed at teenagers, whether they are in school or dropping out. Workforce development centers or employers, in conjunction with secondary schools or adult education programs, typically create these programs. Someone who enrolls in pre-learning of this type must be on track to have a high school diploma or equivalent certification by the time the pre-learning is completed. Many teens go to school and participate in preparatory internships at the same time, typically becoming a pre-apprentice in their senior or junior year of high school.
The other type of preparatory learning program is for people aged 21 and over. These programs are often created by commercial companies looking to funnel newly qualified workers into their private apprenticeship programs and then into the full-time workforce. Laid-off workers or those looking for a career change are often attracted to adult pre-learnings, which tend to be more challenging, more mature in the delivery of instruction, and designed for people who have greater life experience.
To obtain a pre-apprenticeship, a worker must first apply to an employer or recruiter. Unions often maintain lists of which preparatory programs are receiving applications at any given time. If accepted into the program, the participant usually receives an engagement letter, detailing the expectations and duration of the program. Pre-internships typically last two years and can involve over 1,000 hours of training.
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