Pre-Apprenticeship
What Is Pre-Apprenticeship?
In order to have a State Certified Pre-Apprenticeship Program, you must be connected to a Registered Apprenticeship Program.
Pre-apprenticeship program means a training model designed to assist individuals who do not currently possess the minimum (academic or skills) requirements for selection into an apprenticeship program to meet the minimum selection criteria established in a program sponsor’s apprenticeship standards required and which maintains at least one documented partnership with a Registered Apprenticeship program.
A State Certified Pre-Apprenticeship Program involves a form of structured workplace education and training in which an employer, employer group, industry association, labor union, community-based organization, or educational institution collaborate to provide formal instruction that will introduce participants to the competencies, skills, and materials used in one or more apprenticeable occupations.
Pre-Apprenticeship Program Components
- Training and curriculum that align with the skill needs of employers in the economy of the State or region involved;
- Access to educational and career counseling and other supportive services, directly or indirectly;
- Hands-on, meaningful learning activities that are connected to education and training activities, such as exploring career options, and understanding how the skills acquired through the coursework can be applied toward a future career;
- Opportunities to attain at least one industry-recognized credential; and
- A partnership with one or more registered apprenticeship programs that assist in placing individuals who complete the pre-apprenticeship program in a registered apprenticeship program.
Child Labor Law and Consultative Services
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development offers employers the opportunity to review practices to determine if working conditions at a facility are conducive to employing minors in a pre-apprenticeship program. A consultant from the Department’s Labor Standards Unit will visit a facility and complete an assessment of working conditions. Following Tennessee law, the consultant will work with an employer to ensure an allowable safe working environment.
The purpose of the Work-Based Learning Child Labor Overview is to provide WBL coordinators, school and district administrators, students, parents, and employers with the most pertinent Child Labor Act information associated with minors enrolled in WBL courses. For general information, view the Work-Based Learning (WBL) Child Labor Law Overview (PDF).