The Green Pre-Apprenticeship Program is an educational and vocational training program that will develop Opportunity Youth referred to as young adults, ages 18 through 24 who reside in South King County, Washington. South King County covers the following cities: Auburn, Burien, Covington, Des Moines, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Kent, Maple Valley, Normandy Park, Renton, Tukwila, SeaTac, White Center/Boulevard Park, and Vashon Island. The Green Pre-Apprenticeship Program participants are mentored and work directly with experts in their field who are Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), that lead and operate green businesses.  Participants will gain practical, hands-on field experience on current site locations that house micro builds in solar, rain harvesting, and green construction.  The program will provide program participants with laptops, WIFI, and an account to participate in self-paced E-learning through the Skill Mill Platform.

At Key Tech Labs, we are creating a direct pipeline of businesses to specifically support young BIPOC adults' access and entry into the Green Industry.  The Green Pre-Apprenticeship Program will equip program participants with foundational principles within multiple green projects so that they are dexterous, multi-skilled professionals who can apply their experiences and work proficiencies in Green Companies.  These skills acquired through our Green Pre-Apprenticship Program increases community human capital in the trades. Participants that graduate from our pre-apprenticeship program receive career-advancing professional certifications, licensing, and a portfolio that prepares them to enter full-time state-approved apprenticeship programs and propels them into the Green Industry.

Why is this important?  We all know that there are massive gaps in America between the academy and skilled trade workers' access to STEM fields throughout the country and particularly within BIPOC communities.  Over the last 50 years, there has been a loss of trade workers, which has made it hard for companies in the solar industry and tech fields to hire a diverse workforce.  Since BIPOC entrepreneurs require a workforce pipeline into these trade jobs, it is necessary for us to create one.  As a society, there has been an increased demand and transition into the Green Industry with the passing of the Build Back Better Plan in the U.S.   Therefore, it is essential that we prepare young adults to meet the social demands of the future through innovation and preparation, and the collective re-investment into our countries infrastructure.   

While some K-12 schools have Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.) programs, there is still no clear pathway in opportunities for youth and young adults to have training in the Green Industry Trades. This is why the Green Pre-Apprenticeship Program was developed to introduce young adults to pre-requisite skills development for eligibility into state-approved programs. 

Project Location:  Part of the program will be hosted remotely as participants will go through E-learning platforms. The other, is worksite locations where participants have the opportunity to receive vocational hand-on-training.

Numbers of Green Projects: 6

Cohort Sign-up Date: Aug. 30th, 2024

Cohort Sign-up Link:  bit.ly/GreenApprenticeshipProgram

Participants Benefit: Green Industry portfolio, stipend, and 14+ hours of Continuing Education Units, which will go towards trade licensing and completion of prerequisites for state-approved apprenticeship programs.   

Participant Graduate Stipend: $2,000 (to be provided at the completion of the program)

To learn more about Key Tech Labs, please check out their website at https://KeyTechLabs.org/

Facebook @KeyTechLabs  Instagram @KeyTechLabswa

For any questions, email: Contactus@keytechlabs.org

Contact us directly: 425-200-5227‬

Website Link

www.greenapprenticeship.org