Registered Apprenticeship is a pathway into the workforce where participants can “earn while they learn” and gain a recognized certification in an industry of their choice. This method of transitioning into the workforce has gained popularity and employers are now investing time into the Quality Pre-Apprenticeship program. This program makes it easier for interested Idahoans to gain knowledge and experience before committing to enroll in a Registered Apprenticeship program. Below are a few employers featured who have invested time in the creation of a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship program.
Idaho Rural Water Association (IDRWA)
In December of 2023, IDRWA led the way as the first Quality Pre-Apprenticeship program in Idaho, with the goal to fill jobs in the wastewater treatment industry.
“For the drinking water and wastewater industry — the industry isn’t very attractive on its own. We are already butting against that stereotype. It’s not very well known, and I don’t think young people are aware of it as a career path,” IDRWA Apprenticeship Coordinator Gary Sievers said. “We believe water use is the future, and we wanted to use this program to reach out to young people.”
The pre-apprenticeship program is for Idaho students 16 years or older and acts as a direct pathway into the Registered Apprenticeship program, offering a professional and educational introduction to an industry of their interest.
In IDRWA’s case, students who wish to learn more about becoming drinking water operation specialists or wastewater operational specialists are encouraged to apply to the program.
Through IDRWA, students complete 10 hours of coursework and attend live instruction online or through e-modules. The program also involves eight hours of job shadowing.
“If they complete this, they get their introduction to the industry certificate. If it’s something they want to pursue from there, they can continue to do more advanced course work and get credentials to become wastewater operationalists in training,” Sievers said. “Then they can transfer their knowledge into the Registered Apprenticeship program after they graduate high school.”
There is no cost for students who participate in the program and students can potentially “earn while they learn” like a traditional Registered Apprenticeship program, however there are some slight differences. Sievers stated that students need to get a work release from their school if it’s during the school year or they could get a summer job to earn a wage while pursuing the program.
“The costs in the program all come from training and we charge the employer for those costs. There is also funding available for Idaho LAUNCH,” Sievers said.
Idaho LAUNCH is the state’s trailblazing new approach to ensuring Idaho students stay in Idaho to fill rewarding, good paying in-demand jobs. Idaho LAUNCH covers 80% of the cost, up to $8,000, for an Idaho graduating high school senior to enter an Idaho-based workforce training or education program linked to an in-demand career.
Sievers said the quality pre-apprenticeship program is great for students who want to be close to home and don’t necessarily want to pursue college but still want a rewarding career. He also said the wastewater treatment industry is a great path for students who care about keeping the environment clean. Students interested in the program are welcome to email Sievers at gsievers@idrwa.org.
“The program is all about educating students, and once they understand how the industry works, then they get excited about it,” Sievers said. “It’s not just a career, it becomes a passion.”
Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC)
IDOC has been connecting incarcerated individuals to Registered Apprenticeships since 2010. Apprenticeship Program Coordinator for IDOC, Crystal Robles, said the agency has created a pre-apprenticeship program to help individuals who don’t meet the basic qualifications to participate in the Registered Apprenticeship program.
“We didn’t want to discourage them, we wanted to create an opportunity so they can qualify,” Robles said. “We are about opening those doors for them to meet their goals and be successful.”
The Quality Pre-Apprenticeship program isn’t paid for participants, however Robles said it’s an opportunity for people to find an occupation they are interested in pursuing. Currently, Correction has three different pre-apprenticeship program options including a multimedia producer program, a construction trades program and a dog training program.
Robles said most people pursue the construction trades pathway, but many individuals look for something different and go into multimedia or dog training.
The multimedia program was the first occupation the agency created and is in partnership with Learning How 2 Live. Once incarcerated individuals finish the program, they are referred to Learning How 2 Live and get assistance with finding a job within the community.
And regarding the dog training program, PAWS (Paroling Animals with Skills) program at the IDOC facility in Orofino partners with local community organizations. Apprentices work with shelter dogs and train them to correct behavioral issues for the animals to get adopted and find their forever home.
“Some of them (incarcerated individuals) haven’t had to take care of another living being before. They like being able to take care of the dogs, and they are giving the dog a second chance to have a better life with a better family.” Robles said.
No matter the path chosen, IDOC gives assistance to incarcerated individuals to obtain their GED through teachers and instructors. The pre-apprenticeship program helps them obtain that accomplishment. Robles said there was even an individual that was passionate about pursuing the Registered Apprenticeship program and went back to school to get their GED so they could qualify. The person completed their GED in eight months.
“It’s really changing lives,” Robles said. “Even at the end of the pre-apprenticeship program, if they decide at the end that they don’t want to go through the apprenticeship — they get their GED.”
Robles said this opportunity gives incarcerated individuals the chance to explore career paths and find what they want to do in the community once they are released.
“The possibilities are endless,” Robles said. “Sometimes you need to do your research and that’s a part of it. Everyone has a different journey, and this is something that can help along the way.”
Learning How 2 Live
Another Registered Apprenticeship program that supports formerly incarcerated individuals, but is available to anyone, is sponsored by Learning How 2 Live. This nonprofit in Boise supports formerly incarcerated individuals by giving them clothes, assisting with hygiene and helping them find work. The organization has also been invested in the Registered Apprenticeship program since 2022, providing training in soft work skills and media production.
“The apprentices learn soft skills and learn all things for communicating, problem solving and leadership,” Learning How 2 Live Operations Director and Certified Instructor Mario Hernandez said. “When people are incarcerated, more times than not, they haven’t had a job before.”
While apprentices gain 20 hours of classwork learning soft skills, they also learn about media production to get jobs as video editors, writing specialists, audio engineering specialists and even event production specialists.
“The people who were incarcerated work with myself, or our partners at Radio Boise, Boise Rock School and even Treefort Music Hall,” Hernandez said. “We are working to get people in regular paying jobs as they are waiting to get released.”
Individuals must have a GED or high school diploma, Microsoft Office certification or digital literacy to enroll in the Registered Apprenticeship program. And even though incarcerated individuals participate in the program, it is open to everyone.
“We have some super talented people in that group and in all the prisons,” Hernandez said. “What we have here, are people who found what they want to do with their life and they are ready for it.”
Learning How 2 Live is currently investing in the creation of a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship program. In the meantime, they are partnering with other organizations to be an employer sponsor of apprenticeship, such as the Idaho Botanical Garden and their pre-apprenticeship program. The organization is working with the Idaho Botanical Gardens on pre-apprenticeships for horticulture therapy and specialists.
“The apprenticeship program is unlike anything else. Not everyone wants to do plumbing or electrical, and we want people to accomplish their goals and tap into it,” Hernandez said. “Every employment type of business is in need of something like this.”
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The Idaho Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship program is 100% funded for SFY25 by the U.S. Department of Labor as part of Apprenticeship Idaho’s State Apprenticeship Expansion Equity and Innovation grant totaling $1,729,691.
Lindsay Trombly, Public Information Specialist
Idaho Department of Labor