Running Head: DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

IMPROVING STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY THROUGH A PREAPPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION:
DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

A Doctoral Capstone Project
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Research
Department of Secondary Education and Administrative Leadership

In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education

Robert Anthony Payne
California University of Pennsylvania
July 2020

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

© Copyright by
Robert Anthony Payne
All Rights Reserved
July 2020

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DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

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Dedication
My wife Jennifer has played such a big role in my pursuit of higher education.
Jenn has been a teacher at the Grier School for over 22 years. We actually pursued and
received our Masters in Education together from Saint Francis University. Since
becoming an educator in 2003 and choosing a career in education, Jenn has been there to
support me. Two weeks into my first teaching position I stood in my kitchen in tears and
did not know if I could continue, she put her hand on my shoulder and said “We can do
this.” From that day on, she has been by my side and helped me in countless ways. For
this reason and many more not listed I dedicate this Doctorate to my wife of 26 years and
counting, Jennifer Payne.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the faculty and administration of the California University of
Pennsylvania. I would like to especially thank Dr. Kevin Lordon, my faculty committee
chair. Dr. Lordon has given me guidance and encouragement during the entire doctoral
process. I would also like to thank my external committee chair, Dr. Erich May. I met
Erich six years ago when he was the principal at McConnellsburg High School and I was
the Executive Director at the Fulton County Area Vocational Technical School. Erich
has been a tremendous resource, mentor, and friend. I would like to thank Kathryn Barr
for her time and effort in proof reading this paper. I would remiss if I did not thank the
faculty and staff of the Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center, especially
LaVonda Runk and Stephanie Stains. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Maria ScottBollman. Maria was a great person with which to exchange ideas and talk about the
entire doctoral process. Without the above mentioned individuals and groups I would not
have been able to complete this project, for that I thank them all.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

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Table of Contents
Dedication

iv

Acknowledgements

v

Abstract

x

List of Tables

xii

List of Figures

xiii

CHAPTER I. Introduction

1

Rationale

1

Experience and Outcome

2

Financial Impact

3

CHAPTER II. Literature Review

5

History of Apprenticeship

5

History of Pre-Apprenticeship

9

Characteristics of a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship Program

11

Program aspects

11

Student participation

11

Educational content

11

Location of instruction

11

Credentialing

12

Pre-Apprenticeship Models

13

Pennsylvania Pre-Apprenticeship Model

16

Typical Pre-Apprenticeship Participant Demographics

16

Specific participant program knowledge

16

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Participant Demographics

17

Typical Pre-Apprenticeship Employer Characteristics

18

Pre-Apprenticeship Benefits

21

Local Economic Benefits

24

Pre-Apprenticeship Challenges

25

Participant-based challenges

25

Employer-based challenges

26

Pre-Apprenticeship Program Creation

29

Employer sponsorship

29

Participant selection

30

Pre-Apprenticeship Curriculum

32

Conclusion

33

CHAPTER III. Methodology

35

Introduction

35

Purpose

36

Setting and Participants

38

Setting

38

Student Population

39

Annual Budget

39

Campus

40

Staff

40

Participants

41

Students

41

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Instructors

41

Businesses or collaborators

41

Research Plan

43

Action

45

Research Design

47

Research Method

48

Interview design

48

Survey Design

49

Timeline

52

IRB Approval

52

Validity

53

Triangulation

54

Summary

55

CHAPTER IV. Data Analysis and Results

57

Introduction

57

Results

57
Semi-structured teacher interviews

57

Online employer surveys

66

Data Triangulation
CHAPTER V. Conclusion and Recommendation

72
73

Conclusion

73

Recommendation

75

Pre-Apprenticeship Design

76

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Collaboration

76

High quality academic and occupational education

77

Focus on preparing individuals for high-skilled occupations

83

Industry recognized credentialing

83

Fiscal Implications

85

Future Research

86

Next Steps

87

Summary

88

References

90

Appendices

102

APPENDIX A. Pre-Apprenticeship Program Employer Survey

102

APPENDIX B. Employee Interview Questions

105

APPENDIX C. IRB Approval

106

APPENDIX D. Why rethink CTE? Brochure

107

APPENDIX E. Covid-19 Timeline

109

APPENDIX F. Construction Trades Task Grid

110

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Abstract
According to a report published by ed.gov (2019) there are currently 7,136,00 unfilled
jobs in the United States. The gap in available jobs and individuals to fill those jobs has
never been greater. A large portion of these unfilled jobs are in the area of skilled trades.
Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships are avenues many times used to fill these
positions. Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, according to Dr. Lee Burket in her
opening remarks at the 2020 Education and Workforce Development Symposium, are the
oldest instructional models in education. As the Director of the Huntingdon County
Career and Technology Center (HCCTC) I am looking to create a pre-apprenticeship in
one or more of the programs offered at HCCTC for the 2020-21 school year. Creating a
pre-apprenticeship program will help connect companies and businesses looking for
skilled employees with students from HCCTC. The Huntingdon County Career and
Technology Center will work hand-in-hand with these employers to create a meaningful
curriculum as well as the required hands on instruction needed.
Finding employer sponsors, developing a curriculum, and implementing a preapprenticeship program was the basis for this action research project. A mixed-method
research approach was used for this project, using both qualitative and quantitative
research methods. Instructors at the HCCTC were interviewed using a semi-structured
interview process to gather qualitative information. Employers in Huntingdon, Mifflin
and Juniata counties were given an online survey to complete. These surveys generated
quantitative data and those outcomes were triangulated with the semi-structured interview
results to measure the overall attitudes and knowledge about pre-apprenticeships. The
results were used to create a pre-apprenticeship program for the 2020-21 school year.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

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List of Tables
Table 1. Program Design Changes

20

Table 2. Respondent Code

59

Table 2. Fiscal Implications

85

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List of Figures
Figure 1. Instructor Responses

66

Figure 2. Business Responses

68

Figure 3. Trouble Finding Qualified Candidates

69

Figure 4. Possible Pre-Apprenticeship Program Participation

69

Figure 5. Associated Costs

70

Figure 6. Covered Associated Costs

71

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CHAPTER I
Introduction
Rationale
Pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships are an important part of some business’s
process in hiring skilled employees. I feel it is important to be able to offer quality preapprenticeships at the secondary level. The creation of a quality pre-apprenticeship
program is the focus of this paper. This action research project will address two research
questions, both of which are two-part questions. They are:


From a business’s perspective, what makes a pre-apprenticeship program

successful or not, and what can we change in either instance to encourage participation?


What do instructors feel is necessary for successful implementation of a

pre-apprenticeship program and how do they envision the program progressing?
Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships have been an integral part of many
industries and have been around for centuries. The first national apprenticeship system
of training was introduced in 1563 by the Statute of Artificers, which included
conditions that could be likened to apprenticeship minimum standards today (MizraDavies, 2015). They have been used in a variety of ways, but one main use has been to
help solve the shortage of skilled labor facing the Commonwealth and across the country.
I have seen first-hand the need for a 21st-century skilled workforce and the lack of
students available as the director of the 300 student Huntingdon County Career and
Technology Center. The students who attend HCCTC come from four different sending
school districts in the County. Those districts are the Huntingdon Area School District,
Juniata Valley School District, Mount Union Area School District, and Southern

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Huntingdon Area School District. We offer approved programs of study in fourteen
Pennsylvania Department of Education programs including but not limited to Computer
Systems Networking and Telecommunications, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts,
Construction Trades, Electrical and Power Transmission, Welding Technology, and
Health/Medical Assisting Services.
According to the Pennsylvania State System’s Gap Analysis, a recent report
published by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (2020), there will be
963,000 skilled job openings in Pennsylvania to 2024. The report also stated there will
be over 2000, 1300, and a 1500 annual job opening gap in healthcare occupations,
computer occupations, and middle skills occupations respectively. This translates into
approximately 4800 jobs in those three areas which may go unfilled if something is not
done to help close this gap. In my opinion, a pre-apprenticeship program tied to full
time apprenticeship upon completion could help close this gap.
Experience and Outcome
My background as an architectural engineer and technology education teacher
fuels my passion for career and technical education. This combination has ultimately led
me to my role as an executive director of a career and technology center in Central
Pennsylvania. As a business owner in the early 2000’s, I experienced first-hand the
difficulties in finding skilled labor in an area where jobs outnumbered the available
workforce. Over the last several years, Pennsylvania has been proactive in career and
technical education and has placed an even greater emphasis on offering/developing preapprenticeship programs at the secondary level. While the federal Carl D. Perkins Act
authorizes funding and program criteria to support CTE programs, Pennsylvania provides

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
a critical state investment of $62 million in funding (Office of Career and Technical
Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2018). I have chosen to complete an
action research project on the process and challenges of developing a pre-apprenticeship
program for the Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center with hopes of
implementation in the 2020-21 school year. The emphasis at the state level and my
appetite for career and technical education is what has driven me to this action research
project.
My plan is to have an operational pre-apprenticeship program in one of our
programs at the start of next year with future plans to implement additional programs
moving forward. One key component to a successful pre-apprenticeship program is a
business to act as a sponsor for the process. This business will then become the fulltime
employer once the student(s) finish the pre-apprenticeship program at HCCTC. After
some initial research, the two programs which look to have the most potential for
business sponsorships are welding technology and construction trades.
This action research project will use existing data collected from various sources
including the Pennsylvania Department of Education / Career and Technical Education
Department as well as potential employer interviews / surveys and HCCTC instructor
interviews.
Financial Impact
The financial impact on the HCCTC will be minimal-approximately $15 to
$20,000-with the bulk of the student cost being paid by the business sponsor or a grant
provided to the business from an agency such as the Pennsylvania Workforce
Development Board or the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. There will also be a

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need for additional or supplemental curriculum development or implementation to the
chosen program. The driving force behind such decisions will be the business sponsor of
the program. The initial interview/surveys given to potential business sponsors will be
paramount, and this data will also determine which direction and which program we will
use to implement a pre-apprenticeship program.
It is my hope this project will serve as a template moving forward for not only
additional programs at my school, but also other schools across the commonwealth as
they start and maintain quality pre-apprenticeship programs. The results of this project
will hopefully help others navigate muddy waters experienced when starting a preapprenticeship program in a secondary setting as they have traditionally only been
offered to post-secondary students. There is a large pool of potentially skilled labor in 69
career and technical centers across the state, and it is my hope businesses realize this
group of individuals, when given the right training and opportunities, can become valued
employees in their companies. The cost associated with this training when offered at the
secondary level is far less than hiring the same individual once they have graduated from
a post-secondary institution. This action research project should assist companies in
realizing this untapped source of skilled labor.

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CHAPTER II
Literature Review
History of Apprenticeship
Historically registered apprenticeships were contractual agreements between an
apprentice or laborer and an employer, labor union, or other establishment (Cantor,
1997). Pre-Apprenticeship included structured workplace education and training coupled
with an employer, union, or other organization and a secondary school or career-technical
school (Cantor, 1997). Apprenticeships, a form of work-based learning, date back to the
start of human civilization with early examples occurring in agriculture, medicine, and
craftsmanship (Jacobson, 2015). The early form of apprenticeship in Colonial America
were referred to as indentured servitude. Initially there was little interest in education
and its relationship to the indentured servant. According to Snyder (2007) when native
born children began entering the system as apprentices the master became the primary
instructor for basic education. As time progressed and schools were developed, the
master’s role as an educator was reduced to its current responsibility in vocational
education. The transition between indentured servants and apprentices developed as
migrant domestics evolved into native-born apprentices. Became. Below is an early
agreement between Thomas Millard and Henry Wolcott.
“Know all men that I, Thomas Millard, with the Consent of Henry Wolcott of
Windsor uto whose custody and care at whose charge I was brought over out of
England into New England, doe bynd myself as an apprentice for eight yeeres to
serve William Pynchon of Springfield, his heirs and assigns in all manner of
lawful employmt unto the full ext of eight yeeres beginning the 29 day of Sept

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1640. And the said William doth condition to find the said Thomas meat drinke &
clothing fitting such an apprentice & at the end of this tyme one new sute of
apparel and forty shillings in mony: subscribed this 28 October 1640.”
The following statement is made at the foot of the indenture:
“Tho Millard by his owne consent is released & discharged of Mr. Pinchons
service this 22. Of May 1648 being 4 months before his tyme comes out, in
Consideration whereof he looses the 40s in mony wch should have bin pd him, but
Mr. Pynchon givith him on New sute of Apparell he hath at present.
-by Thomas Millard 22nd of May 1648
The history of apprenticeships is well documented. With the use of training and
skills acquisition, ancient Egypt and Babylon maintained an adequate number of
craftsman (Lerman, Eyster, & Chambers, 2009). Apprenticeships have always involved a
master craftsperson and an individual willing to learn according to Keller (1948). What
started out as an indentured servant attending a master and learning a skill has grown into
today what is considered the most efficient way to train or teach individuals a skill, craft,
or trade. Early days saw apprentices working for the basic items needed to live, e.g.
clothes, food, and shelter. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, graduated
compensation became part of the apprenticeship. Even considering inflation, the early
wages paid to the apprentice were substantially less than those paid to their “master.”
The term “master” (although derogatory in most areas) is still used in many trades to this
day, “master machinist” and “master plumber” are two such example uses. As an
example, in 1865 the Pennsylvania Railroad used the below listed graduated wage rates:
First 620 days - $0.50 per 10-hour day

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Next 310 days - $0.60 per 10-hour day
Balance of apprenticeship - $0.80 per 10-hour day
The individual was paid a $124.00 bonus once training was complete. Compare
this to the hourly rate of $2.54/hour for their non-apprentice equal. It goes without
saying companies were taking advantage of apprentices, because they could. Fast
forward almost 50 years: in 1911 the first legislation was passed by the United States in
Wisconsin to help organize and promote the use of apprenticeships. Immigration slowed
following World War I and many of the skilled labor force in the United States were from
other countries, so the need for skilled labor rose to an all-time high (Washington State
Department of Labor & Industries, 2019).
Today’s apprenticeship programs molded into their current form after the passing
of The Fitzgerald Act of 1937. This act ushered in equal representation from both
employers and laborers when previously the control fell mainly in the hands of the
employer.
Currently in the United States, all apprenticeship programs must be registered
with the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT). The bureau has compiled a
minimum number of requirements. Listed below are the basic standards for all modern
day apprenticeship programs.


The starting age of an apprentice is not less than 16.



There is full and fair opportunity to apply for apprenticeship.



There is a schedule of work processes in which an apprentice is to receive training
and experience on the job.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


8

The program includes organized instruction designed to provide apprentices with
knowledge and technical subjects related to their trade (a minimum of 144 hours
per year is normally considered necessary).



There is a progressively increasing schedule of wages.



Proper supervision of on-the-job training with adequate facilities to train
apprentices is insured.



The apprentice’s progress, both in job performance and related instruction, is
evaluated periodically and appropriate records are maintained.



There is employee-employer cooperation.



Successful completions are recognized.



There is no discrimination in any phase of selection, employment, or training.

Currently, there are four types of workforce preparation programs or systems in the
United States:


Registered apprenticeships, which started officially with the National
Apprenticeship Act of 1937.



On-the-job training (OJT) incorporates learning the job, skill or trade while
you work.



Career and Technical schools associated typically with a public sending
school. There are however, many comprehensive career and technical schools
that incorporate academics into the career training curriculum.



Public or private sector post-secondary schools.

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This review will explore apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, and their
collaboration/partnership with secondary schools and career and technology centers with
an emphasis on the career and technology centers.
History of Pre-Apprenticeship
Pre Apprenticeships were originally designed in the early 1970s for the
construction industry to increase employment and integration of women and people of
color (Nichols & Sofer, 2019). Fewer than three percent of the workers in the
construction field were the above-mentioned minorities and the creation of preapprenticeship helped to increase this percentage. Since then apprenticeships have
blossomed beyond the construction field into other industries in need of skilled labor,
pre-apprenticeships have followed. Businesses such as health care, manufacturing,
hospitality, retail, information technology, and others have taken advantage of both preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs to recruit and maintain a skilled labor force
(Fischback, 2016).
Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships are not confined to the United States.
They exist to one degree or another all over the world. Germany has and continues to
have a robust pre-apprenticeship program. Germany’s system is what is referred to as a
“dual system” (Theuerkauf & Putnam, 1996). This dual system is comprised of handson-training offered by a business or commercial enterprise and theoretical training
offered at the vocational institution. This style or system of pre-apprenticeship training is
experienced by 60-70 percent of Germany’s youth (Theuerkauf & Putnam, 1996).
German apprenticeships are an integral part of the educational system which is based on

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explicit tracking of students into specific career paths (Bailey & Merritt, 1993). This type
of tracking is not as common in the United States.
Unlike the German dual model, the United States’ approach, according to Tifft
(1992), is akin to an auto manufacturer dedicating 90 percent of its production cost to
perfecting a sophisticated computer in the engine and only 10 percent to finalizing the
wheels, brakes, seats, and gears. There are few who would purchase such a car, and yet,
recently this has been America’s way of solving the skilled labor shortage.
There are many benefits to both employer and employee with a well-designed
pre-apprenticeship program. Lerman, Eyster, and Chambers (2009) found 86 percent of
pre-apprenticeship sponsors would “strongly” recommend it, and 11 percent would
endorse with reservations, primarily due to problems accessing related instruction. The
most beneficial aspect of a pre-apprenticeship program for employers was helping to
meet the demand for skilled workers (Lerman, Eyster, & Chambers, 2009).
Lerman, Eyster, and Chambers (2009) concluded there were four major
drawbacks sponsors expressed:


Competitor firms “poaching” away trained apprentices upon completion of
the apprenticeship program.



Companies felt apprentices’ failure to complete the program was a
problem.



Companies felt instructional costs were too high.



A small number of companies felt there were significant problems in other
aspects of the registered apprenticeship.

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Characteristics of a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship Program
Program aspects. According to Browning & Sofer (2017), pre-apprenticeship
programs across the United States have four common components in one form or another
which determine their success. The components are as follows – student participation,
educational content, location of instruction, and credentialing (Bailey & Merritt, 1993).
According to Bailey and Merritt (1993) the framework used from their analysis
was based on the four components defined below:
Student participation. Youth apprenticeship is designed to be an integral part of
the basic education of a broad cross-section of youth. It should not be limited to
narrowly defined target groups such as “at-risk” youth. The term at-risk is used to denote
those students who, because of low grades, lack of interest in school, personal problems
outside school, financial concerns, etc., are at risk of dropping out of high school.
Educational content. Apprenticeship combines, in an integrated and coordinated
way, conceptual or theoretical education with practical or specific education, sometimes
referred to as the integration of academic and vocational education. Apprenticeship
programs are also designed to teach broader employability and social skills.
Location of instruction. In an apprenticeship, a significant part of the basic
education program of the participating youth takes place on the job. Location of
instruction for secondary students enrolled in a career and technical institution would take
place at the facility and not necessarily on the job site. Although not working on a job
site the students are exposed to real-world conditions at the school. Of the four
components location of instruction is the most flexible and most easily replicated
(Christman, 2012).

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Credentialing. Graduating apprentices should acquire a credential that is
recognized by a wide range of employers as certifying the achievement of a given level
of skill.
Even though many agree on the importance of the above-mentioned components,
Bailey and Merritt (1993) stated Jobs for the Future (JFF), a nonprofit organization, feels
youth apprenticeships should be based on the following six principles:
1. Collaboration among secondary schools, post-secondary educational institutions,
and employers.
2. Provision of work-based training by employers as part of the program.
3. High-quality, integrated academic and occupational education.
4. A focus on preparation for high-skilled occupation.
5. Certification of occupational as well as academic skill levels of participating
young people.
6. An attempt to reach back into the early secondary-or middle-school years and to
link youth apprenticeship to a broad strategy of career exploration (Kazis, 1991).
Imel (1993), who published a study titled, Youth Apprenticeship: Trends and
Issues Alerts, found though no one model is necessarily better than the other there are
some key design elements found in most:


Employers provide both paid work experience and structured worksite learning.



Academic and Vocational instruction are integrated at the high school level.



Workplace and school instruction are coordinated and integrated.



Postsecondary and high school programs are articulated and last at least 2 years.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


13

There is a myriad of widely recognized credentials earned by completers in both
academic and occupational skill mastery.



There is a broad coalition of industrial partners who govern the programs.

Pre-Apprenticeship Models
Creating the link between Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Registered
Apprenticeships (RA), the National Center for Innovation in Career and Technical
Education (NCICTE) studied six-state models that include pre-apprenticeship and/or
apprenticeship components. Programing, administration and financial policies were areas
of study. The six states included were Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina,
Rhode Island, and Washington. These states have developed programs to connect CTE
and RA in a meaningful and effective way (Rice, Hudson, Foster, & Klein, 2016).
While each state’s approach was different, the curriculum and program
components fell into three similar categories as described by (Rice et al., 2016):


Registered Apprenticeships-High school students were participants in
registered apprenticeship programs and were considered registered
apprentices.



Pre-Apprenticeships – High school students were participants in preapprenticeship programs that prepared them to, upon graduation, enroll in
and become registered apprentices in their chosen field.



Registered CTE Curriculum – High school students completed CTE
course work which was aligned to RA programs in high-demand
industries. All students earned credit toward the RA program in the
chosen field.

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Listed below are highlights from each state system for the school year 2014-15:


North Carolina has both pre-apprenticeships and registered apprenticeships in
their secondary system. This system was created in 1994 and had 200 combined
student participants. Advanced manufacturing, mechatronics, robotics,
machining, electronics, and welding were the top fields and have the below-listed
components:
o Participants are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of
Apprenticeship.
o Programs are locally/regionally developed.
o Secondary students are dually enrolled in CTE and RA programs.



Connecticut’s pre-apprenticeship model was established in 1981 and is the oldest
model studied. They had 100 students participate in 2014-15 in the areas of
construction trades, green energy construction, solar energy construction, and
photovoltaics. Key items include:
o Connecticut Technical High School System offers programs to youths and
adults.
o Participants earn related instruction credits in RA programs.



Florida’s model is labeled “Youth Pre-apprenticeship” and started around 2000.
One hundred fifty-three students participated in either manufacturing or
construction trades. Florida’s critical components include:
o As in North Carolina, programs are developed locally or regionally.
o Students receive On the Job Training (OJT) with an active RA sponsor.
o Instruction takes place at local career and technology centers.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


15

Kentucky’s model, Tech Ready Apprentices for Careers in Kentucky, was put
into place in 2013 and is the newest model studied. Like the Florida model, the
140 participating students are in the field of construction and manufacturing.
Critical items include:
o Instruction delivered via high school.
o Students engage in OJT depending on the field and an RA Sponsor.
o Programming is developed at the state level and not at the local/regional
level.



Washington’s model labeled Apprentice Preparation was founded in 2006.
Participation in construction, culinary arts, aerospace, and early child care
education was between 350-500 students in 2014-15 and included the following
highlights:
o Locally developed apprenticeship preparation programs link high school
students to an RA program.
o Provides Work-based learning (WBL) and related instruction through CTE
coursework.



Rhode Island started a registered school-to-apprenticeship program in 1990, and it
easily had the most student participation at approximately 3000 students. These
students studied construction trades, programs in the medical field, and
information technology. High participation was due partly to the state’s initiative
to help develop and promote the pathway from secondary CTE programs to the
RA system (Rice, Hudson, Foster, & Klein, 2016). Some key elements of their

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system is the secondary CTE curriculum’s alignment and it is approval status for
credit toward RA programs.
Pennsylvania Pre-Apprenticeship Model
In 2016, Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Wolf established the new Apprenticeship
and Training Office (ATO) under the arm of Labor and Industry (L&I) (Herzenberg &
Polson, 2019). Governor Wolf and his administration are hoping to double the number of
apprenticeships in Pennsylvania by 2025. In 2018 Governor Wolf signed a state budget
with an additional $30 million for the PAsmart initiative including $7 million for
apprenticeship programs. Governor Wolf is not alone in his political effort to move
apprenticeship programs forward; President Clinton endorsed youth apprenticeship
programs and felt it was a way of meeting the demands of the high-skill workforce
(Clinton, 1991).
However, according to Rice et.al. (2016), of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, 23
counties do not have any type of pre-apprenticeship program. These same counties
typically are lacking any post-secondary option.
Though the programs differ in many ways, they all accomplish the same goal
which is connecting meaningful secondary instruction linked to apprenticeship programs
either through pre-apprenticeship programs or career and technical education instruction.
Typical Pre-Apprenticeship Participant Demographics
Specific participant program knowledge. As students are looking at preapprenticeship options and deciding which program to pursue, there are predominantly
three levels of knowledge (Evanciew, 1994). In level one, a student or participant has no
prior knowledge of the program or trade but demonstrates the pre-requisite skills

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

17

typically needed to excel in the chosen trade. At the second level, the participate has
limited or some knowledge about the trade and would like to pursue the craft further
while also demonstrating the above-mentioned pre-requisite skills needed. The final
level contains students who, for one reason or another, have a tremendous amount of prerequisite knowledge and skill and wish to base their career on the chosen trade.
Each level requires a different approach from the instructor. However, the result
is the same; each student completes the required pre-apprenticeship and moves into a full
apprenticeship program in the chosen trade. All students enter the program differently
but leave with the required skills and knowledge to continue moving forward on their
career path.
Participant Demographics
According to Dumbrell and Smith (2007), from 2000-2004 the gender split was
88 percent male compared to 12 percent female. This disproportionate gender
breakdown is not uncommon. However, in 2004 for all vocational education trainees
(VET) 48 percent were female.
Rice et. al (2016) found 64 percent of the participants were 15-19 age males and
71 percent of all VET students were in this age group, an additional 9 percent were males
aged 20-24. In 2004 about 39 percent of pre-apprenticeship graduates in traditional
trades were 19 years or younger. According to a survey completed by 63 business
sponsors, the percentage and age groups served in Pennsylvania were as follows: 33
percent of the participants were 18-21, 33 percent were between 22-24, and the last one
third were 25 and older (Rice et al., 2016).

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

18

Dumbrell and Smith (2007) also found most enrollments, about 51 percent were
in larger cities. However, this figure is lower than the larger city’s share of the total
population at 61 percent. Approximately 33 percent of the students had a 10th-grade
equivalent education as their highest grade completed. About 40 percent registered
higher grade levels.
The shortage of non-traditional participation is not only an ongoing struggle in
regular career and technical education, but this trend continues in pre-apprenticeships and
apprenticeships alike. Non-traditional participation is defined as a participant opposite
the traditional gender norm, e.g. male nurse, female engineer, etc. Non-traditional
participation is a key indicator in many areas such as Perkins (Carl D. Perkins and
Applied Technology Act of 1984, 98 U.S.C. 542) funding and the Pennsylvania
Information Management System. Specific organizations such as the Chicago Women in
Trades have developed a specialized curriculum designed to reach out to women who are
interested in the skilled trades and to help them prepare for the mental, physical and
psychological demands of working in the trades (Kreutz, 1992).
Typical Pre-Apprenticeship Employer Characteristics
In 1997 the Wisconsin State Department of Workforce Development
commissioned a youth apprenticeship employer survey. This survey was and
examination of employers’ attitudes toward Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship Program
(WYAP) was completed with the help of a survey completed by 260 of the 733
employers involved in the WYAP (Phelps & Jin, 1997). Phelps and Jin (1997) sent a
two-page survey to the above-mentioned employers to gauge reactions and collect
comments on reasons for participating, what needed to change, and general advice on

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

19

how to improve the programs. Not only did this questionnaire reveal characteristics of
employers, it also included why they participate, possible program design changes,
overall benefits, recommended improvements, and incentives for employer participation.
The next section includes the results of this employer survey conducted by Phelps and Jin
(1997).
The responses were grouped into the nine career clusters listed below with
percentage participation listed as well:


Biotechnical

2.7%



Drafting and Design

4.7%



Auto

22.8%



Tourism

1.3%



Printing

10.1%



Manufacturing

17.4%



Hotel/Motel

2.0%



Health

11.4%



Finance

27.5%

With 84% of the Wisconsin workforce working for small businesses (one to nine
employees) only 28% of the youth apprenticeship employers surveyed worked at a small
firm. Medium-size businesses (20-99 employees) and large businesses (100+ employees)
accounted for 38% and 34% respectively while employing 14% and 3% of the overall
workforce in Wisconsin. The conclusion to be drawn using this information is smaller
firms do not have the capital or money to sponsor a youth apprenticeship. The smaller
employers tend to be in auto collision and service, hotel/motel industries, and tourism;

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

20

while the larger employers are in the health, biotechnology, and manufacturing areas.
Smaller firms also tend to sponsor only one employee.
Listed below is the number of apprentices sponsored per employer surveyed


1 apprentice

67.4%



2 apprentices

21.5%



3 apprentices

5.6%



4 apprentices

2.1%



5+ apprentices

3.5%

Employer responses indicated over 60% found out about a youth apprenticeship
program from local school counselors or high school staff. The remaining 40% found out
about the program from their local chamber of commerce, local technical college, or
other sources.
Of the responding businesses, a large percentage 36% stated their primary reason
for participating as a sponsor in the youth apprenticeship program was to provide a
service to the community. Training skilled workers, recruiting new employees or other
reasons accounted for 15.4%, 5.4%, and 8.1% respectively. Thirty-four percent of the
respondents listed a combination of the above-listed reasons.
The employers were asked to rate three program design changes using strongly
agree, agree, or disagree. The results are listed below.
Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Allow summer hours

45.2%

46.6%

8.6%

Condense the program

18.1%

56.6%

18.9%

8.4%

Reduce core competencies

29.7%

52%

14.9%

1.4%

Table 1 – Program Design Changes

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21

When asked about the benefit to their organization, 42% felt they benefitted “A
lot”, 43% felt it “somewhat” benefitted them, 4.7% felt “a little” benefit, and 4.7% felt it
did not benefit their business “at all”.
It is not surprising 4.7% of the respondents would not recommend the program to
other employers while 90.5% said they would recommend it to other stakeholders and
4.7% who were unsure. In a similar survey conducted by Lerman et al. (2009) 97% said
they would, including 86% who would “strongly” recommend registered apprenticeships
and 11% who said they would with reservation.
Each business surveyed was asked to respond to the open-ended question, “What
incentives would encourage more employers to participate in the Youth Apprenticeship
program?” Fifty-four percent or 80 businesses responded and the results are as follows:
Financial support (tax credit, apprentice wage reimbursement)

45%

Expanded advertising, promotion, or marketing

36.2%

More flexibility/less paperwork

10%

No additional incentives needed

8.8%

Pre-Apprenticeship Benefits
Four key stakeholders benefit greatly from quality pre-apprenticeship programs.
Those stakeholders are the participants, the employers, the schools, and the local
economy. Of the 63 businesses who completed an online survey done by the state of
Pennsylvania, all perceived some type of benefit for each of the mentioned stakeholders.
Eighty-six percent felt they benefited, 83 percent felt the participants benefited and 68
percent of the businesses surveyed felt the school benefitted as well (Rice, Hudson,
Foster, & Klein, 2016).

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

22

Just as there are benefits to individual companies and organizations, according to
Shenon (1992), organized labor unions feel there are eight positive characteristics or
benefits of youth apprenticeships as well. They provide not only a transition from work
to adulthood but also skilled training. Pre-apprenticeships are not only for traditional
trades; non-traditional trades can utilize the pre-apprenticeship model. Young adults are
exposed to a large number of potential occupations. Pre-apprenticeships afford
contextual learning and motivate young people to learn. They help foster relationships
between adults and young people and connections are made which could result in a
permanent career.
According to Jarosz (2006) additional benefits include:


Career exploration.



Minimum requirements for the selection of an apprenticeship.



Training is both classroom and technology-based.



Built-in workplace readiness skills.



Typically graduate with a portable credential.
o A portable credential is recognized across the county ensuring the
participant has completed a defined list of competencies.



Builds strong academic and technical skills (Craig, Stokes, & Walter, 1993).



Contextual learning is accomplished by integrating academic and vocational
curriculum.



Emphasis on counseling and planning.



It provides work-based learning experiences.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


23

Many programs enable the participant to obtain an associate degree with
advanced standing.



May provide a paid work experience and tuition assistance for post-secondary
study.



Smooth transition from school to employment.

The benefits of pre-apprenticeships are apparent and are found in programs
around the world. Dumbrell and Smith (2007) studied pre-apprenticeship programs in
Australia and found they are utilized as a valuable strategy for increasing the supply and
quality of potential apprentices. Dumbrell and Smith (2007) found four key takeaways.
First, the employer favored pre-apprenticeships; they were used as a vetting process for
weeding out unsuitable candidates. Second, potential apprentices thought preapprenticeships were valuable. They felt it was a useful way into apprenticeships.
Thirdly, those who experienced pre-apprenticeships were more engaged in the chosen
occupation and were more likely to seek higher-level training upon completion of their
apprenticeships. Lastly, pre-apprenticeships were not necessarily about getting students
‘work ready’ but they were more about engagement with the trade. Additionally, Case
Western Reserve and the U.S. Department of Commerce (2016) studied thirteen
companies and found 80 percent of the companies’ experience at least a 50 percent
payback the first year of their initial investment and the remaining companies were closer
to 100 percent payback the first full year after the pre-apprenticeship.
In a separate study conducted by Craig, Stokes, and Walker (1993) additional
benefits to employer sponsors include:


Job-ready apprentices

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


A larger pool of qualified candidates



Participants are well-prepared and fully-oriented for the employer



Reduces associated costs for in-house training and new employee retention

24

Additionally, three common metrics are used to measure the benefits of the
apprenticeship model. These metrics are production, workforce, and soft skills (Case
Western Reserve and United States of America Department of Commerce, 2016). The
production metric includes items such as higher output during an apprenticeship at a
lower wage, higher post-apprenticeship output compared to their tenured counterparts,
and reduction of mistakes and errors. The workforce metric includes but is not limited to
lower turnover, better match of skills and participant character with employer needs,
lower recruiting costs, and a pipeline of future managers. Reduced need for supervision,
adaptability, and employee engagement and loyalty are three items included in the soft
skills metric according to Case Western Reserve and the U.S. Department of Commerce
(2016).
Local Economic Benefits
The local economic benefits of pre-apprenticeships are not immediately realized
however a more skilled labor force typically translates into higher wages.
Apprenticeships can improve the local economy in several ways. The purpose of
apprenticeships is to improve the skills, wages and future career progression of the
participants. Companies employing apprentices have higher productivity than those who
do not participant in apprenticeship programs (What Works Centre for Economic
Growth, 2019). According to Case Western Reserve and the U.S. Department of

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

25

Commerce (2016), 91 percent of apprentices find employment upon completion of their
apprenticeship, and their average starting wage is $60,000 (Perez & Zients, 2016).
Pre-Apprenticeship Challenges
Participant based challenges. Craig et al. (1993) offer words of caution and
challenges facing pre-apprenticeship programs. First, many employers are excited and
show an interest in pre-apprenticeship programs but are reluctant to participate once the
amount of preparation is revealed. They may choose to participate in other work-based
learning opportunities such as cooperative education or student internships. Second,
enthusiasm from faculty, administrators and others is great; however, many times this
eagerness causes improper planning, and the time and effort is not spent developing one
good program. Administration, staff, students, and employers try to develop multiple
pre-apprenticeship programs when efforts should be spent on developing one solid
program. Lastly, program developers tend to choose a program experiencing enrollment
issues or one which suffers from an image problem within the school community. In
every case, pre-apprenticeship programs should be employer-driven fulfilling the needs
of their business.
Additionally, with the average age of a new apprentice being 28 (Sack & Allen,
2018) the pre-apprenticeship model tends to target the ages of 18-24 which is outside the
average age. On many occasions there is a disconnect from school and there is no clear
pathway for this age group and the opportunities offered by pre-apprenticeships. There
are several theories as to why this divide exists and is a challenge for pre-apprenticeship
programs. Many employers do not consider recruiting this population and do not include
it in their employee pipeline (Sack & Allen, 2018). There is no school to engage and

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

26

more importantly a consistent institution to call upon. The lack of pre-apprenticeship and
apprenticeship programs for this narrow demographic is a national problem. Agencies
whose job it is to help this population are too often unfamiliar with this specialized area
of workforce development. These challenges are not unique to this age group, however,
these challenges affect them the most.
Employer-based challenges. Fifty-six pre-apprenticeship programs responded to
a survey conducted by Keystone Research Center on behalf of the Pennsylvania
Workforce Development Board. When asked to check all the main challenges that their
pre-apprenticeship program experiences, the results were as follows:


Establishing the program

38%



Recruitment of participants

41%



Curriculum

11%



Engaging employers

18%



Engaging app programs

18%



Funding

61%



Administrative needs

30%



Other

30%

The survey showed the overwhelming challenge facing the respondents was the
ability to secure funding for their program.
These same pre-apprenticeship programs were asked open questions about what
they felt were the main challenges. The construction field is one industry which utilizes a
great deal of apprenticeships. According to Herzenberg and Polson (2019), the six main
challenges in the pre-apprenticeships in the construction-related fields were:

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

27

1. Enrollment timing caused some participants to wait a long period of time
to apply and therefore take their test.
2. A valid driver’s license requirement for all apprenticeship programs.
3. Not only the driver’s license requirement, but students who had a valid
driver’s license was an issue.
4. The costs associated with the post-completion application and initiation
fees.
5. Finding employer sponsors for those candidates who pass the joint
apprenticeship committee (JAC) exam.
6. Participants cannot start apprenticeship until dues are paid. Each trade’s
dues vary.
Herzenberg and Polson (2019) found a whole other set of challenges for schoolbased programs. Coordination was listed as the main challenge for several respondents.
The day-to-day operation and logistics of dealing with school districts was also a
challenge. This carried into coordination related to schedules, student availability, and
curriculum. The time required to get schools ‘on-board’ was lengthy. A big challenge
was the hoops and red tape. The general lack of respect for CTE programs by parents,
fellow educators, and the workforce development system posed a problem. This lack of
respect has been a challenge my entire career and continues to be a challenge. John
William Gardner, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Lyndon
Johnson said: “The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity
and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither
good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.”

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

28

(Tifft, 1992) The “college for all” mentality and breaking this construct was also a
challenge listed by many school-based pre-apprenticeship programs. Recruiting isn’t the
problem, but translating the recruits to actual CTE students is the challenge. Lastly, it is
a challenge trying to help parents understand and accept any CTE program.
Among the many challenges listed above, financing a pre-apprenticeship is many
times a hurdle. Funding was an issue mentioned by employers’ time and time again.
Equipment and materials needed for training is increasing in cost. Local workforce
development boards (LWDB) are helping, but many times there is a gap in funding. The
boards typically contribute around $5,500 per participant but costs of $6-7,000 leave
$500 to $1500 left for employers to pay (Fischback, 2016).
Assistance is needed promoting and selling the pre-apprenticeship programs to
employers. Pre-apprenticeship programs are useless unless there is a company or
business training and using apprentices to fill their need for skilled labor.
Included with the above-mentioned challenges is a clear understanding of both the
child labor laws and workers’ compensation for apprentice minors and apprentices under
age 18. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division,
both federal and state laws govern the employment of young workers, and when
both are applicable, the law with the stricter standard must be obeyed.
The federal youth employment provisions do not:


require minors to obtain "working papers" or "work permits," though many states
do.



restrict the number of hours or times of day that workers 16 years of age and older
may be employed, though many states do.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


apply where no FLSA employment relationship exists.



regulate or require such things as breaks, meal periods, or fringe benefits.



regulate such issues as discrimination, harassment, verbal or physical abuse, or

29

morality, though other federal and state laws may.
Hours of employment are regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and
Industry. For ages 16 & 17 a maximum of eight hours per day and 28 hours per week
may be worked during the week and an additional eight hours over the weekend. These
stipulations are effective during the school year. During school vacations a student may
work up to 48 hours per week and10 hours per day but may refuse to work any amount
over 44 hours. Participants in school-based pre-apprenticeship programs typically work
during the school day as part of their work-based learning.
Pre-Apprenticeship Program Creation

Employer sponsorship. Employer sponsorship is a critical component in
meaningful and effective pre-apprenticeship programs. Craig, Stokes, and Walter (1993)
comprised a list of what they felt were the ten most important roles of an employer
sponsor. The roles were as follows:
1.

There must be a progressive experience for a period of three years from
training to hiring.

2.

The employer must actively participate in the development,
implementation, and evaluation of the pre-apprenticeship program.

3.

The employer must provide worksite supervisors or mentors.

4.

The employer must use a nondiscriminatory selection process when
choosing apprentices.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
5.

30

Hands-on instruction cannot exceed 20 hours per week as not to interfere
with classroom instruction.

6.

The employer must ensure their mentors and supervisors have adequate
training in the area of mentoring and supervision.

7.

The employer must provide input into the school curriculum as needed to
support worksite learning.

8.

The employer must develop worksite learning competencies that increase
the scope and sophistication throughout the program.

9.

The employer must provide financial assistance for tuition and other
related degree costs.

10.

The employer must offer full-time employment upon completion of the
program.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s quality pre-apprenticeship framework singles out
employers and other apprenticeship sponsors such as industry associations and labels
them critical components of pre-apprenticeship programs. Employers have a unique view
of the needs and requirements of a highly skilled workforce and bring a unique
perspective to pre-apprenticeship design and development (Nichols & Sofer, 2019).
Industry associations can also serve as a pathway for pre-apprenticeship employment
upon program completion because they reach a large number of individual companies.
Many times employers favor using industry associations to help curtail costs associated
with pre-apprenticeship programs.
Participant selection. As the keynote speaker at The Pathways to Career
Readiness: An Education and Workforce Development Symposium I attended several

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

31

years ago, Mark Perna, founder and CEO of TFS in Cleveland, Ohio, a full-service
strategic consulting firm whose mission is to share and support every client’s passion for
making a difference, said, “Career and technical schools need the right student in the
right program for the right reason.” Selecting students to participate in preapprenticeship programs is no different. The selection will be done on a nondiscriminatory basis. Student screening, recruitment, and testing are necessary. Consent
from parents must be obtained and formalized. Imel (1993) devised a list of eleven
requirements for student entry into youth or pre-apprenticeship programs which are:
1. Participants must be a junior or senior in high school and at least 16 years
old.
2. Participants must have experienced at least one year of secondary career
training in the area of interest.
3. Participants must have solid math and/or science foundation.
4. Participants must have an interest in the trade and the desire and ability to
complete an apprentice program.
5. Participants must pass a written exam given by the career/tech instructor
in the chosen field.
6. Participants must have parental consent.
7. Participants should maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA (a 3.0 may be required
by some employers).
8. Participants must have a good attendance record.
9. Participants cannot have discipline issues.
10. Participants must have transportation, either personal or school provided.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

32

11. Participants should possess a good attitude.
Some employers necessitate more requirements, some employers require less, but
the list above is a good base from which to build.
Pre-Apprenticeship Curriculum
Curriculum by definition is the subjects comprising a course of study in a school
or college. Work-based curriculum identifies the learning objectives, competencies, and
instructional activities to achieve the desired work outcome. Curriculum is also a basis
for assessment using the achievement of the work objectives (Hamilton & Hamilton,
1993). Modules, which are curriculum-based, focus instruction and mastery on one
specific aspect of the occupation. Work-based curriculum centered on stackable modules
shows the employer exactly what concepts and aspects of the trade participants have
mastered and those they have not. Additional requirements by the employer may require
the apprentice to complete further modules. This curriculum is utilized in Sweden and by
many American companies. The German apprentice receives a blanket certification for
all competencies in their given occupational area. The stackable aspect of modules
makes this more flexible and more desirable for many American companies, according to
Hamilton and Hamilton (1993).
As an example, The Association of Builders and Contractors (ABC) has endorsed
the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) as their preapprenticeship curriculum for construction trades and many associated fields such as
plumbing and electrical. This curriculum consists of a core program of study which is a
prerequisite to all other Level 1 craft curriculum. Its modules cover topics such as Basic
Safety, Communication Skills and Introduction to Construction Drawings (National

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

33

Center for Construction Education and Research, 2019). This requirement is an example
of a module-based curriculum currently used by an organization utilizing preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.
Each trade area has its own curriculum, but all work-based courses of study have
the same goal, which is to align training and education to assess and show competence of
the students participating in the work-based experience, either through written testing or
hands-on skills tests.
Conclusion
The history of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs is documented
from its early form of indentured servitude to programs of today. Through this literature
review, common characteristics of quality pre-apprenticeship programs have emerged.
Benefits for employers and for participants have also been identified. Characteristics of
pre-apprenticeship programs include:


Strong collaboration between secondary schools and employers.



Work-based training provided by employers.



High-quality academic and occupational education integration.



A clear focus on preparation for high-skilled occupation.



Issued certifications for proficient occupational and academic skills.

Two main stakeholders form a partnership in any quality pre-apprenticeship
program: the employer and the participant.
Benefits for the participant include:


Exposure to career exploration.



Training in both the classroom and the workplace.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


Development of key workplace readiness skills.



Career counseling and planning.



The ability to receive an associate’s degree with additional educational

34

requirements.


It provides a smooth transition from school to employment.

The employer benefits include:


Job-ready employees upon completion.



A larger pool of qualified candidates to choose from.



Future employees who are well prepared and fully-oriented.



Cost reduction for in-house training and new employee retention.

Though not easily implemented, pre-apprenticeship programs provide a clear
pathway for students to develop a skilled trade and move directly into the workplace
upon completion and earn a living wage in a field of their choice. The challenge is
building those relationships and getting a business to commit to the process. It is my goal
through this action research project to implement a pre-apprenticeship program at the
Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center by September of 2020.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

35

CHAPTER III
Methodology
Introduction
This section will discuss the methodology used in my action research project,
Improving Student Employability through a Pre-Apprenticeship Program in Career &
Technical Education. This chapter will cover the following topics:


Purpose - Why this project? What are the desired outcomes?



Setting & Participants – Who and where?



Intervention & Research Plan – Does the intervention or research plan correlate
with the findings of the literature review?



Research Design – What methods were used and how was the data collected?



Validity – Does the project show general validity and data interaction from
various sources?



Summary – Is the methodology section fully summarized?
Throughout this section there will be reference to the novel coronavirus or Covid-

19. Covid-19 is a global pandemic which is believed to have its origin in Wuhan, China
on or about December 31, 2019. Covid-19, at the time of this writing, is still a global
pandemic with case and death counts rising on a daily basis. This pandemic reached into
and became part of every living person’s life with stay at home orders across the world.
Non-essential businesses were and still are shut down at the time of this project. I have
included a timeline in Appendix E for reference.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

36

Purpose
The need for skilled labor in America has never been greater. Apprenticeships
and pre-apprenticeships are two concepts currently being used to help solve this problem.
As the director of the Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center, I feel there is
an underutilized pool of potential employees available to companies sooner than they
realize. According to Campbell (2019), the number of unfilled jobs each month has been
higher than the number of people looking for work. Over the last twenty years,
employment has been trending this direction. However, the employment numbers over
the last eleven months confirm this trend (Campbell, 2019). According to Campbell
(2019) labor market data shows unfilled jobs that require college degrees stand at about
one million. This includes lawyers, consultants, and computer programmers. There are
far more that do not require a four-year degree. Openings in retail, hotel, manufacturing,
and restaurants are among the positions going unfilled.
The purpose of this action research project is twofold. First, as the executive
director of a career and technology center, I feel it is my obligation to provide the best
education to my students and give them the best opportunity for employment upon
graduation. Starting a pre-apprenticeship program would have beneficial outcomes. It
would enable students to gain the additional education and knowledge required for a
particular job, and it would help local companies or businesses fill the positions that
continue to go unfilled. The second reason for this project is to create a template that
may be used to start additional pre-apprenticeship programs at my facility. This template
may also be used as a guide for other schools and career and technology centers to start
their own pre-apprenticeship programs.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

37

Common elements of successful pre-apprenticeship programs according to Merritt
(1993) and Jobs for the Future include but are not limited to:


Collaboration among secondary schools, post-secondary educational institutions,
and employers.



Providing work-based training by employers as part of the program.



Integrating high quality academic and occupational education.



Focusing on preparation for high-skilled occupations.



Some type of credentialing or certification upon completion.
To move forward in creating a successful pre-apprenticeship program there are

two questions which must be answered.
The first question is:
1. From a business’s perspective, what makes a pre-apprenticeship program
successful or not, and what can we change in either instance to encourage
participation?
A survey, which will be discussed later in the chapter was sent to prospective
employers to gauge their attitudes and knowledge on pre-apprenticeship programs. This
information will be used to develop contacts and move forward in creating a preapprenticeship program starting in the fall of 2020.
The second question is:
2. What do instructors feel is necessary for successful implementation of a preapprenticeship program, and how do they envision the plan progressing?
One-on-one interviews were conducted with every instructor at the Huntingdon
County Career and Technology Center. These interviews were semi-structured with all

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

38

instructors being asked the same questions. Teachers could elaborate as much or as little
as they felt necessary and with the format, I was able to ask follow up questions when
needed.
Setting and Participants
Setting. There are four main components that are vital in starting a preapprenticeship program at the secondary level. They are:
1. A school, usually a career and technology center or a comprehensive school
which includes career and technical training as well as academic classes.
2. Qualified instructors with extensive industry-based knowledge in their area of
expertise.
3. A business or company that acts as a sponsor for the pre-apprenticeship program.
4. Students able to commit to rigorous training in the chosen area and the
willingness to, upon graduation, continue their training and work for the
sponsoring company or business.
This first item on the list is a school or facility to house the pre-apprenticeship
program. The educational facility to be used for this project is the Huntingdon
County Career and Technology Center in Mill Creek, Pennsylvania. This school is a
small career and technology center located in a rural area of Central Pennsylvania.
The school offers 12 Pennsylvania Department of Education approved Career and
Technical programs. These programs are listed below with the state-approved CIP
code, program name, and the current number of students in each program.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

39

Student Population
CIP Code

Program Name

Number of Students

47.0604

Auto Mechanics

27

46.9999

Construction Trades

31

11.0901

Computer Networking

21

47.0603

Collision Repair

13

12.0401

Cosmetology

36

12.0508

Culinary Arts

25

46.0399

Electrical Occupations

23

51.0899

Health Occupations

41

43.9999

Public Health & Safety

21

51.2604

Rehabilitation Aide

6

48.0508

Welding Technology

18

47.0201

HVAC-R

14

Total

279

The 279 students come from four sending school districts which are:


Huntingdon Area School District



Juniata Valley School District



Mount Union School District



Southern Huntingdon Area School District

The projected enrollment for the 2020-21 school is not yet available. We are
looking at level enrollment or a slight increase due to scheduling changes from the
sending districts.
Annual Budget
The annual budget for the CTC is $2,678,051. About half of this budget is provided
by the four sending schools. The percentage each school pays is based on average daily

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

40

membership from the previous year. The projected budget for the 2020-21 school year is
$2,727,793.
Campus
Listed below are some key areas of the school facility.
Campus Area

13.5 Acres

Main Building

58,300 SF

Transportation Building

12,500 SF

The transportation building is a new building with substantial completion of
construction to be the end of April 2020. The facility was to be completed by the end of
March but the Covid-19 pandemic pushed this date back. The impact of the Covid-19
pandemic on this project will be discussed further in this methodology. This facility will
house our Auto Mechanics and Collision Repair programs. We feel there could be a
slight increase in enrollment in those two programs with the addition of a new building.
Staff
The composition of the Huntingdon County CTC faculty is as follows:
12

Full time Career and Technology Instructors

3

Paraprofessionals

1

Business Assistant to the Director

1

Administrative/JOC/Business Secretary

1

Receptionist

1

Maintenance Supervisor

2

Custodial Staff

3

Administrators

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
1

Nursing Administrator

2

Licensed Practical Nursing Instructors

41

According to career and technical education (CTE) statistics for Pennsylvania, the
Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center is one of 73 CTCs in Pennsylvania
together serving over 200,000 students (Office of Career and Technical Education,
Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2018).
Participants
Students. Of the available 279 students, 105 are juniors. Although not
participants of this project, this group will serve as the potential pool of eligible students
for a pre-apprenticeship program at the Huntingdon County Career and Technology
Center in 2020-21. The culmination of this project will result in a pre-apprenticeship
program of which students will participate.
Instructors. Although any one of our instructors could teach and be involved in
a pre-apprenticeship program there are several in which apprenticeships are common.
Welding technology, electrical occupations, HVAC-R, and construction trades typically
have apprenticeships associated with them. More recently because of the shortage in
workforce, health occupations has been added to that list. This would narrow the field of
possible instructors from 12 down to five. All instructors were interviewed and responses
recorded concerning pre-apprenticeships and their willingness to potentially participate.
Businesses or collaborators. I have identified a list of approximately fifty
businesses from Huntingdon County that could serve as a pre-apprenticeship sponsor or
collaborator. They are listed below.

Running Head: DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

1. Trinity Plastics

24. Weis Markets, Inc.

2. J C Blair Memorial Hospital

25. FourG LLC

3. Philips Ultrasound

26. Sheetz, Inc.

4. ACCO Brands, Inc.

27. PRN Medical Staffing of Lewistown

5. First Quality Baby Products

28. Huntingdon Park Rehab Center LLC

6. Walmart Associates, Inc.

29. Evergreen Farms, Inc.

7. Bonney Forge Company

30. Helpmates, Inc.

8. AC Products, Inc.

31. Jarden Plastics Solutions

9. Lake Raystown Resort

32. Broad Top Area Medical Center, Inc.

10. Benchmark Therapies, Inc.

33. Huntingdon Fiberglass Products

11. N.E. Reihart & Sons

34. Maines Roofing

12. Standard Steel LLC

35. Huntingdon County Child Development

13. Mutual Benefit Insurance Company

Center

14. Valley View Haven

36. Home Nursing Agency & VNA

15. Overhead Door Corp.

37. J C Blair Medical Services

16. Presbytery Homes/Huntingdon

38. JLG Industries, Inc.

17. Containment Solutions, Inc.

39. New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co.

18. Woodland Park Rehab Center

40. US Municipal Supply, Inc.

19. IFC Services, Inc.

41. US Silica Company

20. Raystown Developmental Services, Inc. 42. Valley Rural Electric Co-Op, Inc.
21. Giant Food Stores LLC

43. Martin Oil Company

22. CMH Manufacturing, Inc.

44. Your Building Centers, Inc.

23. Nittany Paper Mills, Inc.

45. D C Goodman & Sons, Inc.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
46. Park's Garbage Service, Inc.

49. Bleyer Gift Packs LLC

47. Sandy Ridge Market LLC

50. Eat'n Park Hospitality Group

43

48. ATJ Printing Inc.
The above-listed companies are geographically local to our facility. However, I
am collaborating with the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce and the Juniata
River Valley Chamber of Commerce to send the survey out to an additional 1,500
potential sponsors. The list is subject to change depending on availability and survey
response rate. Final companies, businesses, and results will be addressed in the
conclusions section of this action research project. When searching for a potential
company or business to sponsor for a pre-apprenticeship program a wide net must be cast
in order to increase the odds of finding a sponsor. There is a substantial amount of time
and money spent when developing and implementing a successful pre-apprenticeship
program. This I believe will prove to be the hardest aspect of starting a program in a
secondary school.
Research Plan
The extensive literature review completed for this action research project revealed
several common or key areas to include in my action research project. There are four
components in every effective pre-apprenticeship program. These include:


A business or industry sponsor – This is a business or company that will benefit
from the pre-apprenticeship program by hiring and continuing to train the
prospective employee.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


44

An educational facility – This will be where the individual(s) receives the bulk of
the pre-apprenticeship training and education. The training will be taught by a
certified instructor currently employed at the educational facility.



A willing participant – This is the actual student or students completing the preapprenticeship program in the mutually agreed upon program.



Approved curriculum – This curriculum is agreed upon and approved by the
school and, more importantly, the business or company sponsor.
As previously stated this action research plan will include surveys and interviews

of potential business sponsors and the teaching staff respectively at the Huntingdon
County Career and Technology Center.
Teacher surveys will be conducted face to face during a one-on-one meeting held
with every instructor. However, not every program is able to implement a preapprenticeship program. Some programs of study such as health occupations have workbased learning already embedded in their current curriculum. Potentially certified
nursing assistants’ complete clinical rotations exposing those students to real-world
work-based learning. There is not a pre-apprenticeship model used in this particular
field. Regardless, I will still be interviewing those instructors to gauge their attitudes and
knowledge about the potential of a pre-apprenticeship program in other areas of the
health occupations field. Data will be collected and interpreted once the teacher
interviews are complete. The Huntingdon County CTC has twelve full-time teachers in
twelve different programs.
Potential business or company sponsors will be sent a survey to be completed
either online or on paper. I have partnered with Huntingdon County and Juniata Valley

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

45

River Chambers of Commerce to disperse the surveys to their current database. The
survey includes questions about participation and pre-existing knowledge of
apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships.
Action
Once all teacher interviews and employer surveys are completed, the data will be
analyzed. The goal of this action research project is to collect meaningful data to be used
in creating a pre-apprenticeship program at the Huntingdon County Career and
Technology Center. This program will include at a minimum, a fiscal obligation and
curriculum modification There is an inherent fiscal obligation required with the
implementation of a pre-apprenticeship program. Currently the Huntingdon County CTC
is being proactive with the modification of curriculum in several programs anticipating
some type of pre-apprenticeship implementation. The Pennsylvania Department of
Education approved CTE programs operate under program specific Programs of Study or
POS. The task list associated with programs of study mirror real-world skills typically
associated with any given career. Curriculums are designed to cover these tasks in any
given program so modification or adaptation to potential employer’s needs is easily done.
That being said, some curriculums are inherently better suited for employers' needs and
potential pre-apprenticeship programs than other curriculums.
The literature review for this research project reinforced the above statement,
which is, some career fields are more suited for pre-apprenticeships than others.
Pre-apprenticeships were originally designed in the early 1970s for the construction
industry to increase employment and integration for women and people of color (Nichols
& Sofer, 2019). The focused has shifted but the construction industry has continued to be

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

46

a leader in the area of apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships. For this reason, we have
decided to move to a curriculum endorsed by many construction and trade unions across
the state. Moving to this curriculum will not cause any disruption in the current program
of study we offer at the Huntingdon County CTC. In fact, it will enhance an already
robust program. We are taking this opportunity as we cycle through our program
curriculum reviews, which are done on a rotating basis every three years, to adopt the
National Center for Construction Education and Research Core curriculum (NCCER).
NCCER was established in 1995 by the world’s largest and most progressive construction
companies and national construction associations. It was founded to address the severe
workforce shortage facing the industry and to develop a standardized training process and
curricula (National Center for Construction Education and Research, 2019). The cost of
implementing this curriculum into our construction trades program is minimal. The
largest expense will be the textbooks with a cost of approximately $2,500. A small
amount of teacher training will be required, and this expense will be less than $1,000.
Upon completion of this action research project, one course of study will be used as a
pilot program for a pre-apprenticeship program. If our construction trades course is not
the chosen program, we will investigate an appropriate curriculum or modify our existing
one to meet the needs of the employer sponsor.
There are financial obligations to the associated business sponsor. Preapprenticeship programs require the participant to be paid while receiving the training.
This is one aspect that distinguishes pre-apprenticeship programs from something like an
unpaid internship or job shadowing. This payment responsibility falls to the business or
company that is sponsoring the program/participants. Pennsylvania has created several

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

47

initiatives and grants to assist employers with these costs. One such program is the
PAsmart. PAsmart which is a statewide movement for accountability, readiness and
training (Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board & Pennsylvania Department of
Labor and Industry, 2019). According to the PA Workforce Development Board and The
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (2019), PAsmart is a “strategic approach
to education and workforce development.” The PAsmart initiative is designed to better
align education, workforce, and economic development initiatives and funding. With
multiple avenues of possible funding, businesses will be able to access assistance should
they choose to participate as a sponsor.
To reiterate, of the twelve programs offered at the Huntingdon County Career and
Technology Center, one will be chosen to move forward with a pre-apprenticeship
program. The program chosen will have the necessary resources to implement and
maintain not only the specific training and skills required by the potential sponsor but
will also continue to move the students forward in completing their programs of study in
their assigned CTE areas.
Research Design
Improving Student Employability through a Pre-Apprenticeship Program in
Career & Technical Education is a mixed-method action research project, combining
qualitative and quantitative data. With several key stakeholders involved in the research,
each in a different capacity, a mixed-method design is chosen for this project. A mixedmethod design allows the quantitative data gathered with an online survey and the
qualitative data gathered with structured interviews to be evaluated and compiled.
According to Caruth (2013), mixed methods research (MMR) has become a valid

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

48

alternative to either quantitative or qualitative research designs. There are six types of
MMR commonly used in education and they are as follows (Caruth, 2013):
1. Convergent parallel – This method involves simultaneously collecting, merging
and using both quantitative and qualitative data.
2. Explanatory Sequential – In this method, quantitative data is gathered first then
qualitative after in order to enhance the initial findings.
3. Exploratory sequential – This method is the mirror image of explanatory
sequential: one first collects qualitative data to investigate a phenomenon and
second gathers quantitative data to explain the first results.
4. Embedded – to gather quantitative and qualitative data at the same time while
one’s design purpose is to support the findings of the other.
5. Transformative – This method uses either convergent, explanatory, exploratory,
or embedded design types while including the design types within an evolving
context.
6. Multiphase – This method allows the researcher to examine a subject or issue
through several studies.
Although not all methods were utilized for this project I felt it was important to list
commonly used mixed method research types in order to demonstrate their differences.
Research Method
Interview design. For this project, I used a convergent parallel type of mixedmethod research. I conducted one on one, semi-structured interviews with all teaching
staff over several weeks. This method of discussion contains but is not limited to a
predetermined set of questions to be answered by all interviewees. The interviewees do

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

49

have the option to elaborate on questions, which many times involves follow-up
questions to clarify or further explain issues or subjects. This type of interview is the
most flexible and gives the option to ask additional questions as needed. According to
Dudovskiy (2018) using interviews as a qualitative method of data collection gives the
researcher direct control over the flow of the process and allows the interviewer to clarify
certain issues during the process if needed.
Interview questions were prepared according to the research project's purpose.
Each individual was asked a series of 10 questions and their responses were recorded.
Each interview was then transcribed and coded for data comparison. The data was coded
using the data coding strategies described by Maykut and Morehouse (2002). These
strategies suggest that the researcher provides a code for each type of data, the source of
the data, and the page number in the upper right-hand corner of each data page. Please
see Appendix B for the teacher interview questions.
Survey design. Employer surveys were sent out to approximately 1,850
businesses/companies. These companies were located in the counties of Huntingdon,
Mifflin, and Juniata Counties. I chose to use a survey method of research for this
demographic of the research project. According to Isaac & Michael (1997) survey
research is used
“to answer questions that have been raised, to solve problems that have been
posed or observed, to assess needs and set goals, to determine whether or not
specific objectives have been met, to establish baselines against which future
comparisons can be made, to analyze trends across time, and generally, to
describe what exists, in what amount, and in what context."

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50

Survey research contains three distinguishing characteristics. The results are used
to describe specific aspects of a given population in a quantifiable manner. The data
required for survey research are collected from individuals and therefore inherently
subjective. Lastly, survey research uses a selected portion of the population, in this case,
businesses, from which the findings can later be generalized back into the population
(Glasow, 2005). The ability to obtain information from a large population sample is the
advantage of using a survey in this type of action research project. Gaining demographic
information from the surveyed sample is another advantage (Mcintyre, 1999). According
to Glasow (2005), the determination of sample size depends on five factors. They are:


A desired degree of precision



Statistical power required



The ability of the researcher to gain access to the study subjects



The degree to which the population can be stratified



Selection of the relevant units of analysis
The sample chosen for this survey was not randomly chosen. All businesses with

a valid email within the tri-county area were selected. The purpose of the survey is
intended to gain a general sense of attitude or belief. Therefore, a lower level of
precision is acceptable. I obtained access to the survey group via the chambers of
commerce for Huntingdon, Mifflin, and Juniata counties. Stratification was easily
accomplished based on the type or area of business the respondents chose. The units of
analysis in this project will be businesses or companies as a group instead of individuals.
That being said, it is possible to have a single proprietor business where there is only one

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51

individual. However, for purposes of this research project they will be treated as a
company or business.
The survey contained two open-ended questions and nine closed-ended questions.
The open questions enabled the respondent to add comments at the end of the survey and
to list any affiliations they may have. I could have created a list of affiliations but would
have been tedious and monotonous for the respondent to answer. I felt it would be easier
for them to input their response. The remaining nine questions were closed-ended
questions to measure the responses to ideas, analyses, and proposals (Glasow, 2005).
Please see Appendix A for a copy of the employer survey. Based on the responses from
the initial survey, randomly selected businesses or companies will be chosen to conduct
one-on-one interviews. Each responding business will be assigned a number and a
random number generator will be used to choose which businesses will be interviewed.
These interviews will take a deeper dive into the attitudes and knowledge of preapprenticeship programs from the businesses' perspectives and measure their willingness
to serve as a potential employer sponsor for a yet to be determined program slated to start
during the 2020-21 school year. As stated above, initial surveys were sent out to
approximately 1850 respondents with the first survey going to Huntingdon County
Chamber members on March 2, 2020. Juniata and Mifflin county surveys were sent out
on March 12, 2020.
On Friday, March 13, 2020 around 3:10 pm Governor Wolf and State Education
Secretary Rivera announced all Pennsylvania public schools will be closed until April 6,
2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic discussed earlier. This was followed quickly by
non-essential business closures and large numbers of unemployed individuals.

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I received seventeen responses from the initial Huntingdon County survey, but to
date, I have received no responses from the Mifflin and Juniata Chamber surveys, and I
do not expect to. At the time of this writing businesses are fighting to stay afloat and
with approximately 22,000,000 individuals filing for unemployment the last thing on any
of their minds is starting a pre-apprenticeship program. In my opinion, many businesses
are hoping to rehire their pre-existing staff who worked for them prior to the Covid-19
outbreak.
Timeline
Teacher interviews were conducted between November 25, 2019, and January 31,
2020. A common online survey tool was utilized and the first wave of employer surveys
was sent via email on March 2, 2020, and the second mass email was sent on March 12,
2020. No deadlines were stated and responses to the emailed survey started within 24
hours of the first email sent. I continued to receive responses until the Covid-19
pandemic gripped the nation and engulfed Pennsylvania in its wake. I expected to resend
the survey to all three counties in mid-April to gather some additional data. This final
wave of surveys did not take place because of the Covie-19 situation. The data collected
will be analyzed and results compiled even with a limited number of business responses.
IRB Approval
All survey and interview questions were approved under the research plan
submitted to IRB on November 24, 2019. Below is the IRB statement approval. I have
included the entire email correspondence in Appendix C.
“Please consider this email as official notification that your proposal titled
“Improving Student Employability Through a Pre-Apprenticeship Program in Career and

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53

Technical Education” (Proposal #18-085) has been approved by the California University
of Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board as amended.”
Validity
Validity is the extent to which answers or scores from a measurement represent
the variable they are intended to (Maykut & Morehouse, 2002). According to
ActiveCampaign (2009), there are seven key types of validity in research. Those being:


Face Validity – Results seem valid based on what they look like. This is the least
scientific method and is not quantifiable.



Content Validity – This method is a subjective measure. This method assesses to
what degree the content is covered for the subject one is trying to measure.
Content validity requires all of the content to be explored.



Construct Validity – This measures to what extent one’s research measures the
construct compared to things outside the construct.



Internal Validity – This refers to the extent to which the independent variable can
accurately be stated to produce the observed effect.



External Validity – This method measures the extent to which the results can be
generalized beyond the sample. Can the findings be applied to other people or
settings?



Statistical Conclusion Validity – This is a determination of whether a relationship
exists between cause and effect variables.



Criterion-related Validity – This validity method measures the accuracy of a
measure from a study compared to a measure that already exists. One’s measures

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54

are accurate because other similar measures were found to be accurate in previous
research.
For purposes of this research project, external validity and criterion-related
validity were used to validate the findings of my research. Teacher interviews and
employer survey results echoed findings and general attitudes about pre-apprenticeships
found in my extensive literature review which supports external validity. For the very
same reasons, criterion-related validity was used to validate my findings.
The validity, in general, is the representation of your results to a preconceived
notion as to what they should represent. Many variables in survey data depend on the
respondent. Did they answer the questions honestly? Were they having a good or a bad
day? We can only assume the results from survey data represent the best attempt of the
respondent to answer the questions.
Triangulation
According to Oliver-Hoyo and Allen (2005): “Triangulation involves the careful
reviewing of data collected through different methods in order to achieve a more accurate
and valid estimate of qualitative results for a particular construct.” Triangulation
involves the use of multiple measures to examine the same problem or topic. In this case,
semi-structured interviews with teachers and online surveys to employers are the two
methods used to measure attitudes and knowledge related to pre-apprenticeships.
According to Jick (1979), the effectiveness of triangulation rests on the premise that the
weakness in every single method will be compensated by the counter-balancing strengths
of another. This is assuming the same weakness is not shared by the chosen methods of

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55

research. In this case, the semi-structured interview and survey are the chosen methods
of research.
Summary
During the PASA/PABA School Leadership Conference held in February, Dr.
Lee Burket, Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Director of the Bureau of Career
and Technical Education, included a “Why rethink CTE?” facts card as part of her
presentation. On this card was the following information:


7,136,000 unfilled jobs open in United States.



By 2020, 2/3 of jobs will require some post-secondary education.



85% of the jobs today’s learners will do in 2030 haven’t been invented yet.



One quarter of high schools do not offer CTE courses.



$1.5 TRILLION in college debt.
The bottom of the card had three simple sentences. “Students deserve better.

Employers demand better. America must do better.” Please see Appendix D for a copy
of this brochure. Dr. Burket went on to explain the need for pre-apprenticeships and
apprenticeships to help close the gap in jobs and the available people to fill them. For
that reason, I felt it was important to move forward in investigating and looking to create
a quality pre-apprenticeship program at the Huntingdon County Career and Technology
Center with the help of an action research project. As previously mentioned there are
four key components to having a successful pre-apprenticeship program. They are:
1. A school, usually a career and technology center or a comprehensive school that
includes career and technical training as well as academic classes.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

56

2. Qualified instructors with extensive industry-based knowledge in their area of
expertise.
3. A business or company that acts as a sponsor for the pre-apprenticeship program.
4. Students able to commit to rigorous training in the chosen area and the
willingness to, upon graduation, continue their training and work for the
sponsoring company or business.
This action research project concentrates its effort on the second and third items,
qualified instructors and a business or company sponsor respectively. Mixed-method
research is used for this project. Mixed-method research mixes the quantitative aspects
of employer surveys with the qualitative aspects of teacher interviews. Examining the
results of both teacher interviews and employer surveys will help triangulate the data
making the results clear and useful moving forward as we look to implement a preapprenticeship program for the 2020-21 school year.

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57

CHAPTER IV
Data Analysis and Results
Introduction
The results of both the semi-structured teacher interviews and the employer
surveys are below. The teacher interviews proved very helpful and informative in many
ways and revealing in others. The teachers involved in our trade programs including
electrical, construction, HVAC, and welding were knowledgeable and offered good
information. The interview results will show this. The online employer surveys provided
good information and addressed what would help to encourage participation at the
employer level. I did not receive any surveys which addressed how pre-apprenticeships
could be improved or more successful in their company. This was due to the low
employer response after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results
Semi-structured teacher interviews. What do instructors feel is necessary for
successful implementation of a pre-apprenticeship program and how do they envision the
program progressing? This was one of two research questions asked for this action
research project. The interviews were conducted over a period of time from November
25, 2019, to January 31, 2020. All interviews were conducted prior to the Covid-19
pandemic and subsequent school closures. All instructors were asked the same ten
questions with the ability to elaborate as necessary. The first four questions were general
logistics questions such as their name, years in education, program area and any
professional organizations to which they belong. Questions five through ten specifically
asked them opinions and prior knowledge about pre-apprenticeship programs. These five

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58

questions and their answers constitute the bulk of the qualitative results from the
interviews.
The familiarity of pre-apprenticeship programs by one third or four out of twelve
of the HCCTC teachers provided good information on successful implementation of a
pre-apprenticeship. The remaining two thirds had heard of pre-apprenticeships, however,
their interview answers did not offer information on program implementation. All
teachers were in favor of a successful implementation but only the instructors in the trade
areas had the necessary background knowledge. Interview data revealed and reaffirmed
what I discovered during the literature review for this project. That is, pre-apprenticeship
and apprenticeships are commonly found in skilled trades such as carpentry, electrical
trades, heating-ventilation and air conditioning, automotive mechanic, and welding. Few
apprenticeships or pre-apprenticeships exist in service areas such as health occupations,
rehabilitation therapy, culinary arts, public health and safety, collision repair, and
cosmetology.
Following are the answers from the teachers of six of the twelve programs offered
at the Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center to the question, Are you
familiar with apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship programs? Pre-Apprenticeships,
according to Nichols and Sofer (2019), were originally designed in the early 1970s to
help increase minority participation in the construction industry where fewer than three
percent were minority workers. By 2020, other industries such as health care, hospitality,
retail, and information technology will start to take advantage of both pre-apprenticeships
and apprenticeships, according to Fischback (2016). The responses from my health
occupations, computer networking, culinary, cosmetology, public health and safety, and

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rehabilitation aide instructors show they have knowledge of pre-apprenticeships but are
not aware opportunities exist in their program areas because the concept of preapprenticeships and apprenticeships are new concepts in those career fields, at least in
Huntingdon County.
The following matrix was used to compile interview responses.
Researcher

R

Cosmetology Instructor

CI

Sports, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Therapy Instructor

SI

Culinary Arts Instructor

CA

Health Occupations Instructor

HO

Computer Networking Instructor

CN

Collision Repair Instructor

CR

Automotive Technology Instructor

AI

Public Health and Safety Instructor

PS

Electrical Occupations Instructor

EO

Welding Instructor

WI

Construction Trades Instructor

CT

HVAC-R Instructor

HI

Table 2. Respondent Code

The interview question is listed above the answer matrix. When a follow-up
question was needed it is shown between responses and is labeled R for researcher.

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Question: Are you Familiar with apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship programs?
“Are they similar to internships?”

CI
R

“Yes, but many times the individual is paid for the experience and
often times internships are voluntary.”
“Oh, I see. I do not have much experience, or know much about

CI

pre-apprenticeships. A lot of my experience was voluntary or if I
was paid it was more like a real job.”
“No, not necessarily in this area. I have seen interns work at rehab

SI

facilities.”
“Yes, I am, but typically internships are young students get into a

CA

kitchen. I know the concept of pre-apprenticeships but like I said
not typically in a restaurant setting. I also know many
apprenticeships are preceded by pre-apprenticeships, at least I think
that is what the pre is for.”
“I have heard the terms, but my students are required to do what are

HO

called clinical visits.”
R
HO

“Can you explain those to me?”
“That is when my students are placed on the floor of a hospital or
health care facility and required to initially watch but then
eventually perform nursing duties as they would if they were
employed at whatever facility they are at. They have an instructor
and/or another nurse with them at all times to ensure no patient is
placed in any type of danger. Common things they do are: take

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blood pressures, change beds, take temperatures, practice good
bedside manner, you know, the same things all nurses do.”
R

“So this is part of the health occupations curriculum?”

HO

“Yes.”

PS

“Yes, but many times individuals who want to become police
officers or fire fighters attend dedicated academies for each
discipline. Once they graduate from their respective academies they
move directly into the workforce. There are no apprenticeship
programs or pre-apprenticeship programs associated with public
health and safety jobs. At least not in firefighting or law
enforcement.”
“Somewhat, yes. I think it is very similar to internships or a co-op.”

CN
R

“Similar in some regards but typically apprenticeships and preapprenticeships go hand-in-hand and there is a specific amount of
hours associated with each process.”
“Similar to the required hours in our CTC programs?”

CN
R

“Yes, however, the students are also getting paid while in both preapprenticeships and full apprenticeships.”

CN

“I have heard of apprenticeships in areas like plumbing and
carpentry. I have never really heard of anything like that in
computer networking or IT (information technology).”

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Contrast the above answers to the responses below given by construction trades,
welding, auto mechanics, collision repair, HVAC-R, and electrical occupations
instructors. Coincidently or maybe not, these programs are physically located together in
our building and are grouped together in our budget under the category of “trades.” I
have included some additional questions from the interviews of these programs.
Question: Are you Familiar with apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship programs?
“Yes, I am familiar with both. I believe a company called Cheran in

EO

or around Dillsburg offers electrical apprenticeships. I personally
was not ever involved in either, but I know the concept.”
“Yes. One of my first jobs was as a shipwright at The Seafarers

WI

Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship in Piney Point, Maryland.”
R

“Really?”
“Yes, I actually was in that position for about a year and then I

WI

helped create the welding program for their apprenticeship
agreement, which required a two-year commitment.”
R
CT

“Yes.”
“Yes. Having worked in the construction field for over 30 years, I
am familiar with both apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships. I
have worked with the Pennsylvania Builders Association (PBA) and
the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). After our
discussion earlier in the year. I have been investigating the NCCER
(National Center for Construction Education & Research)
curriculum you told me about, and I think it would work well if we

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would use it in construction trades. It has stackable card or
credentials that ABC uses as placement in their construction trades
apprenticeship programs.”

Question: Were you ever in an apprenticeship program?
EO

“No, I never was in a program.”

WI

“Not as a member.”

CT

“No.”

Question: Would you be willing to be an instructor for a pre-apprenticeship program if
we could offer a program in electrical occupations?
EO

“Yes, for sure, I believe it would be a good opportunity for my
students, especially if they are getting paid to learn. Who wouldn’t
want to do that? I’m used to paying for my education not the other
way around.”

WI

“Yes.”

CT

“Definitely.”

Question: Would you be willing to alter your curriculum to accommodate something
additional a potential employer sponsor might require, assuming is still meets the state’s
program of study?

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“Definitely, you know we add additional items, new technology, etc.

EO

all the time to the POS (program of study).”
WI

“Yes.”

CT

“Yeah, the curriculum is hours based and every module the student
completes they receive a card. If after graduation they go to work
for the carpenters’ union they would receive advanced standing, if
you will, and they would also start at a higher pay rate.”
R

“So if we could find an employer sponsor who uses the carpenters’
union for hiring we may be able to create a pre-apprenticeship
program with them?”

CT

Sounds doable. I am moving to that curriculum next year regardless
of a pre-apprenticeship program. I feel it covers everything my POS
[(program of study)] requires plus it has the added benefit of the
credentialing.

Question: Do you think your students would benefit from such a program? Why or why
not?
EO

“Yes. A lot of my students enter directly into the workforce. I had
six grads last year and four of them went directly to work and two
went to college. Having a job directly out of high school shows
them the time spent in the program is worth it.”

WI

“Yes, it gives them a clearer path to employment.”

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Question: Would you be willing to spend additional time preparing for a preapprenticeship program?
EO

“Within a reasonable amount.”

WI

“Whatever it takes.”

CT

“Sure, I am a fairly new instructor, and I don’t know what I don’t
know. If it helps my students, I am willing to put in the time.”

After my interview with the welding instructor, I had to research The Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. According to their website:
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship (“SHLSS” or “School”),
affiliated with the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District, AFL-CIO (SIU) is a vocational school dedicated to preparing
students for successful careers as U.S. merchant mariners. The School has been training
individuals for careers at sea since 1967. The SHLSS provides entry-level training for
individuals who wish to begin a seafaring career (Seafarers International Union, 2019).
Whatever direction or program we use to implement a pre-apprenticeship program
my welding instructor will be an invaluable resource.
The following list of questions were questions 5-10 of the 10 question interview
conducted with the twelve program instructors. See Figure 1 below for instructors’
responses. Complete interview questions can be viewed in Appendix B.
5. Are you familiar with apprenticeship programs? Pre-apprenticeship programs?
6. Were you ever in an apprenticeship program?
7. Would you like to be an instructor for such a program?

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8. Would you be willing to alter your curriculum, assuming it would still meet the
state’s program of study, to accommodate a pre-apprenticeship program?
9. Do you think your students would benefit from such a program? Why or why not?
10. Would you be willing to spend additional time preparing for a pre-apprenticeship
program?

Figure 1 – Instructor responses
Referring to Figure 1, not all instructors were totally familiar with preapprenticeship programs. After some discussion with those who were not, all instructors
felt it would be beneficial to the students and would be willing to modify their curriculum
if needed to accommodate such a program. Benefits of a pre-apprenticeship program to
students, according to Jarosz (2006), include but are not limited to providing career
exploration, building workplace readiness skills, and forming strong academic and
technical skills. The teachers’ responses are not a surprise based on prior research.
Online employer surveys. The research question asked of potential employer
sponsors was a two-part question, it was: From a business’s perspective, what makes a

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pre-apprenticeship program successful or not, and what can we change in either instance
to encourage participation?
There was great anticipation awaiting the results from sending out over 1850
employer surveys to employers over three counties in Central Pennsylvania. The first
were sent out on March 2, 2020, to about 250 businesses, and the second group was sent
out on March 12, 2020, to about 1600 additional employers.
The following day, March 13, 2020, the educational and professional lives of
hundreds of millions of people changed forever. The state was placed on a shelter-inplace order and schools both secondary and post-secondary were shut down. The shelterin-place order meant all non-essential businesses were closed for an undetermined length
of time. This shut down had and as of the writing of this paper continues to have long
lasting and profound effects on local businesses.
After the first wave of surveys was sent I received seventeen responses within a
two-day period. It was sent out on a Friday, so I believe the slow response rate was
because of this timing. It was due to be resent on March 16, 2020. I was very excited to
see the results from the second wave of surveys’, unfortunately I received no replies. My
online business survey had a reply rate of 0.92%. A less than one percent response rate is
unsuitable for research purposes, but given the circumstances not surprising. As of the
time of this writing, local and state-wide businesses are trying to re-open and return back
to some semblance of what is now being described as a “new-normal.” They are
concerned with staying in business and trying to bring back many of the employees they
had to lay off. I cannot speak for them, but I feel the very last thing on their list of

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priorities at this point in time is creating a pre-apprenticeship program. With that being
said, the few survey results I do have mirror what past research has shown which are:
 Employers are always looking for quality employees.
 Employers would be willing to participate in a pre-apprenticeship program.
 Employers have trouble finding qualified candidates when hiring.
Of the sixteen respondents, 42% were from industries we currently offer at our
facility. Of those 42%, 70% were from either the automotive industry or the
constructions field. Figure 2 shows the breakdown of industry responses.

Over 88% of the business respondents have been in business for 10+ years. This
shows the need for qualified applicants has been an ongoing issue and continues to be
one. When asked,” Does your business or company have trouble finding qualified
candidates when hiring?”, over 82% answered yes to this question.

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When asked, “If you could increase your chances of obtaining a quality employee
or employees would you consider participating in a pre-apprenticeship program?”

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Over 93% would participate in a pre-apprenticeship program if the odds of
increasing quality candidates were increased.
When asked about participation in a pre-apprenticeship program and associated
costs to do so, it is clear financial help in implementation could be a determining factor in
whether an employer participates or not. Figure 5 shows potential participation based on
associated costs being absorbed by the employer. Figure 6 shows a substantial increase
in affirmative responses based on the cost of the program being covered by an outside
source.

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It is clear that financing a pre-apprenticeship program is a concern of potential
employer sponsors. The participation rate moves from 29% to 76% if costs are covered
by an outside source. Funding is an issue mentioned often by employers. According to
Fischback (2016) local workforce development boards typically contribute around $5,500
per participant, but costs of $6-7,000 leave anywhere from $500 to $1500 left as part of
employer contribution. When comparing the responses for the questions concerning selffunding or third-party funding a pre-apprenticeship, one could conclude if there was a
partial coverage in expenses the employer participation rate would fall somewhere
between 29% and 76% based on the answers above. For survey results for all the
employer questions, see Appendix F.

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Data Triangulation
Both the teacher survey and the employer survey revealed perceived benefits of a
pre-apprenticeship program. The benefits to the employer are the creation of a more
qualified pool of candidates for open positions, which was a major concern for over 94%
of those surveyed. The instructors also saw the benefits of a pre-apprenticeship to their
students in the form of gaining valuable workplace skills and defining a clearer pathway
to a career in their chosen field.
The associated cost to implement a pre-apprenticeship program was also a
concern from both the employer sponsor and the school. Although the direct cost to the
school was not talked about in the instructor interviews, they were concerned if additional
curriculum had to be purchased, would that cost come out of their budget? If so, that
would reduce the amount they had to use for other program requirements. Even though
they personally do not have to pay, it was surprising to see their overall budgetary
concern. When asked, over 76% of the employers would consider participation in a preapprenticeship program if the associated costs were covered by a third party. Although
the accompanying expense to implement a pre-apprenticeship program was a concern,
30% of the surveyed employers would still consider implementation if they were required
to pay.
The qualitative results of the instructor survey coupled with the quantitative
results of the employer survey both revealed the same concerns on funding, and both felt
pre-apprenticeship programs benefitted students. Employers more importantly felt that
pre-apprenticeship programs could benefit their businesses.

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CHAPTER V
Conclusion and Recommendation
Conclusion
The first research question, which was a two-part question asked of the potential
employers was: From a business’s perspective, what makes a pre-apprenticeship
program successful or not, and what can we change in either instance to encourage
participation? With the low response rate the first part of the research question was not
addressed to the degree I had wished. No responding employer had previously had a preapprenticeship. Therefore, the respondents did not address what makes a preapprenticeship program successful or not.
The results of the employer survey indicated business participation would
increase from 29% of those surveyed to 76% if there were limited to no costs associated
with implementation of a pre-apprenticeship program. The results of the employer
survey and structured instructor interviews also showed a common perception that preapprenticeship programs, when implemented correctly, are beneficial to the employer and
the student. Choosing which program to develop into a pre-apprenticeship is many times
a function of an employer willing to make the commitment of time and money for the
benefit of their business. As the results show, 76% of the businesses are willing to
participate in a pre-apprenticeship program if a third party covers the associated costs.
According to Phelps and Jin (1997), research has shown this to be a consistent concern
for businesses who wish to implement or who have implemented a pre-apprenticeship
program. When asked “What incentives would encourage more employers to participate
in pre-apprenticeship programs?” 45% of the surveyed businesses said some type of
financial support, either in the form of a tax credit or apprenticeship wage reimbursement

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would be needed. The financial concern to businesses has now become an even greater
burden with the arrival of COVID-19 and the coronavirus. This global pandemic which
took hold of the US, particularly Pennsylvania businesses, on March 13, 2020, has
proven to be the demise of many small to medium size businesses across the county, but
also the world. As the HCCTC was looking for businesses to partner with and start a preapprenticeship program, the challenge became even greater during the pandemic. As
many businesses struggled to survive by furloughing employees and cutting staff, we did
not want this to deter our effort to create some type of pre-apprenticeship program here at
the Huntingdon County CTC.
The second research question asked was: What do instructors feel is necessary
for successful implementation of a pre-apprenticeship program and how do they envision
the program progressing?
After instructor interviews I had a clearer vision of which programs it would be
easier to implement a pre-apprenticeship. This conclusion was based on instructor
interviews and their pre-existing knowledge or lack of knowledge of the preapprenticeship process. Offerings dealing with trades such as electrical, welding, HVAC
and construction are courses typically associated with pre and full apprenticeships. That
is not to say other programs do not have any affiliation with apprenticeships, but looking
to create a new program at the CTC would be a daunting task in programs such as
culinary arts or rehabilitation aide. This realization coupled with the literature review
completed led the CTC to look at starting a program in one of the above mentioned trade
areas. Once it was determined which set of programs offered at the CTC to look at, the

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CTC moved on to those programs that would be the best option for pre-apprenticeship
implementation.
Recommendation
One solution to the problem of lack in individual business participation is to
implement a program and curriculum that is tied to an organization or association and not
to an individual business or employer. Organizations such as the North America’s
Building Trades Union sponsor comprehensive apprenticeship readiness programs across
the United States in the area of trades including but not limited to pipe fitters, electrical,
welding, construction, and HVAC. When choosing which program to look at, I leaned
heavily on the knowledge and experience of the instructors of those programs. My four
trades instructors have a combined 75 years of field experience, knowledge, and
connections, which proved invaluable in choosing which program to use. After
interviews and discussions with those instructors, we chose our construction trades
program as the area of study in which to implement some form of a pre-apprenticeship
program. The deciding factor for choosing this program over the other trade programs
was the affiliation we have with an organization by the name of Associated Builders and
Contractors, more commonly known as ABC. ABC is an organization that specializes in
connecting a skilled labor force with companies and contractors in Pennsylvania and
across the country. ABC also provides formal apprenticeship training programs that are
registered with the United States Department of Labor. Completion in an ABC
apprenticeship program enables individuals to start at the journeyman level, and they are
also awarded an apprenticeship certificate. Not only will our students have the ability to
complete the ABC apprenticeship program upon graduation but they will also receive

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credit for a full year toward their apprenticeship. To be eligible for this advanced
standing, we will need to modify and or supplement our construction trades curriculum.
This curriculum change will be discussed later in this paper. The curriculum change will
not only satisfy what is required by ABC but also satisfy our state program of study task
list requirement. One of the biggest benefits of partnering with ABC is their network of
contractors and businesses who use them for accessing a pipeline of skilled workers.
We have chosen a program, construction trades, and an organization, Associated
Builders and Contractors, with which to center our efforts in creating a quality preapprenticeship program. According to Merritt (1993) quality pre-apprenticeships share
and provide the following elements:


They provide collaboration among secondary schools, post-secondary
educational institutions (in our case ABC), and employers.



They integrate high quality academic and occupational education.



They focus on preparing individuals for highly-skilled occupations.



They provide some type of industry recognized credentialing upon
completion.

The following sections will define how we plan to address all of the above listed
elements to create a quality pre-apprenticeship program in the construction trades
program of study at the Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center.
Pre-apprenticeship Program Design
Collaboration. Our construction trades program currently has student chapters in
the Pennsylvania Builders Association (PBA) and the Associated Builders and
Contractors (ABC). Collaboration between our facility and ABC happens now in a more

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generic form through our student chapter. However, moving forward into the 2020-21
school year, there will be a more deliberate approach and regular contact with the local
ABC representative. We are modifying our curriculum to accommodate the requirements
for ABC while still completing the task list associated with CIP code 46.9999,
Construction Trades as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau
of Career and Technical Education.
Regular communication between the HCCTC and ABC will continue throughout
a student’s secondary career, and upon graduation, the student will have the ability to
move directly into ABC’s apprenticeship program with an advanced standing.
High quality academic and occupational education. As a career and
technology center, we are always looking to provide our graduates as many industry
credentials as possible, regardless of their program. This translates into our instructors in
every program looking to improve or supplement their curriculum on a regular basis to
achieve the credentialing goal. I became aware of a curriculum when working for
another school which had progress credentialing as part of its arrangement. This meant
that as students finished what this company called ‘modules’ they received a card
certifying them as proficient in that particular area of study. As the student progressed
through the curriculum, you continued to “stack” additional credentials. This curriculum
was developed by the National Center for Construction Education and Research
(NCCER). I made the instructor aware of this curriculum during our interview. At that
point, we had not determined which program was going to be chosen, but we decided to
do a deeper dive into the NCCER curriculum and how well it cross walked into PDE’S
program of study task list for the construction trades program (see Appendix F). There is

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no one curriculum or text book which covers all tasks on the program of study (POS), but
the NCCER curriculum covers as much if not more than most. About 85% of the
required POS tasks can be covered in the NCCER curriculum.
We also discovered in our curriculum review that the NCCER curriculum is the
preferred curriculum of ABC and is in fact the required curriculum to be completed to
receive the advanced standing mentioned earlier. According to the Associated Builders
and Contractors website (2020), “ABC now works closely with its educational affiliate,
the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), in the
development, revision and publication of the NCCER Curriculum, which is competencybased, task-driven, modular craft training curricula based on today's construction industry
practices.”
Listed below is the index from the NCCER core curriculum including the required
modules with brief descriptions, to be completed to receive a one-year apprenticeship
credit based on the NCCER curriculum (National Center for Construction Education and
Research, 2015). This includes nine core modules and nine specialized components in
carpentry. The estimated hours are listed also.
Core Curriculum Modules
1. Basic Safety (12.5 Hours) (Module ID 00101-15) Presents basic jobsite
safety information to prepare workers for the construction environment. Describes
the common causes of workplace incidents and accidents and how to avoid them.
Introduces common PPE, including equipment required for work at height, and its
proper use. Information related to safety in several specific environments,
including welding areas and confined spaces, is also provided.

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2. Introduction to Construction Math (10 Hours) (Module ID 00102-15)
Reviews basic math skills related to the construction trades and demonstrates how
they apply to the trades. Covers multiple systems of measurement, decimals,
fractions, and basic geometry.
3. Introduction to Hand Tools (10 Hours) (Module ID 00103-15) Introduces
common hand tools used in a variety of construction crafts. Identifies tools and
how to safely use them. Proper hand tool maintenance is also presented.
4. Introduction to Power Tools (10 Hours) (Module ID 00104-15) Identifies
and describes the operation of many power tools common in the construction
environment. Provides instruction on proper use, as well as on safe-handling
guidelines and basic maintenance.
5. Introduction to Construction Drawings (10 Hours) (Module ID 00105-15)
Introduces the basic elements of construction drawings. The common components
of drawings are presented, as well as the most common drawing types. The use of
drawing scales and how to measure drawings is also covered.
6. Introduction to Basic Rigging (7.5 Elective Hours) (Module ID 00106-15)
Provides basic information related to rigging and the associated hardware, such as
slings, rigging hitches, and hoists. Emphasizes safe working habits in the vicinity
of rigging operations.
7. Basic Communication Skills (7.5 Hours) (Module ID 00107-15) Provides
good techniques for effective communication on the job. Includes examples that
emphasize the importance of both written and verbal communication skills.

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Describes the importance of reading skills in the construction industry and covers
proper techniques to use in a variety of different written communication formats.
8. Basic Employability Skills (7.5 Hours) (Module ID 00108-15) Describes
the opportunities offered by the construction trades. Discusses critical thinking
and essential problem-solving skills for the construction industry. Also identifies
and discusses positive social skills and their value in the workplace.
9. Introduction to Material Handling (5 Hours) (Module ID 00109-15)
Describes the hazards associated with handling materials and provides techniques
to avoid both injury and property damage. Common material-handling equipment
is also introduced.
The core curriculum is a pre-requisite to move forward with specialized areas of
instruction. For our students to be eligible for advanced standing in ABC’s
apprenticeship program they must complete the NCCER curriculum in carpentry. Listed
below is the index from the carpentry curriculum with a brief description of the modules
and associated hours for each. (National Center for Construction Education and Research,
2013)
Carpentry Modules:
1. Orientation to the Trade (5 Hours) (Module ID 27101-13) Reviews the
history of the trade, describes the apprentice program, identifies career
opportunities for carpentry and construction workers, and lists the skills,
responsibilities, and characteristics a worker should possess. Emphasizes the
importance of safety in the construction industry.

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2. Building Material, Fasteners, and Adhesives (7.5 hours) (Module ID
27102-13) Introduces the building materials used in construction work, including
lumber, sheet materials, engineered wood products, structural concrete, and
structural steel. Also describes the fasteners and adhesives used in construction
work. Discusses the methods of squaring a building.
3. Hand and Power Tools (7.5 Hours) (Module ID 27103-13) Provides
descriptions of hand tools and power tools used by carpenters. Emphasizes safe
and proper operation, as well as care and maintenance.
4. Introduction to Construction Drawings, Specifications, and Layout (20
Hours) (Module ID 27104-13) Covers the techniques for reading and using
construction drawings and specifications with an emphasis on drawings and
information relevant to the carpentry trade. Introduces quantity takeoffs.
5. Floor Systems (27.5 Hours) (Module ID 27105-13) Covers framing basics
and the procedures for laying out and constructing a wood floor using common
lumber, as well as engineered building materials.
6. Wall Systems (20 Hours) (Module ID 27111-13) Describes procedures for
laying out and framing walls, including roughing-in door and window openings,
constructing corners, partition Ts, and bracing walls. Includes the procedure to
estimate the materials required to frame walls.
7. Ceiling Joist and Roof Framing (40 Hours) (Module ID 27112-13)
Describes types of roofs and provides instructions for laying out rafters for gable
roofs, hip roofs, and valley intersections. Covers stick-built and truss-built roofs.
Includes the basics of roof sheathing installation.

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8. Basic Stair Layout (12.5 Hours) (Module ID 27110-13) Introduces types
of stairs and common building code requirements related to stairs. Focuses on
techniques for measuring and calculating rise, run, and stairwell openings, laying
out stringers, and fabricating basic stairways.
9. Introduction to Building Envelope Systems (12.5 Hours) (Module ID
27109-13) Introduces the concept of the building envelope and explains its
components. Describes types of windows, skylights, and exterior doors, and
provides instructions for installation.
Total Level Hours: 225 Hours (Includes 72.5 hours of Core Curriculum)
One of the most attractive features of this new curriculum is each module comes
with an industry recognized credential. So if for some reason a student has to leave the
program they can always continue where they left off with any institution who uses the
NCCER curriculum. This curriculum combined with the academic course layout offered
at each student’s sending school will ensure we are checking off the second item needed
for a quality pre-apprenticeship program, the integration of a high quality academic and
occupational education.
Another key feature that ensures students are receiving a quality occupational
education is the instructor certification through NCCER. This will maintain instructional
quality and continuity. According to NCCER (2020) a certified instructor must possess
the following skills and characteristics.
They must:


Have journeyman- or technician-level skill in his/her craft or specialty



Demonstrate leadership ability

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


Practice ethics and stewardship on the job and in the classroom



Be willing to share knowledge and skill and must be motivated to do so

83

Focus on preparing individuals for high-skilled occupations. The NCCER
curriculum is broken down into a “core” curriculum which must be taught before any
other specialized curriculum. The areas taught are listed above. The focus on highskilled occupation preparation is reinforced once the student moves into the specialized
area of study. In our construction trades program, each student will cover the following
NCCER areas:


Core Curriculum



Construction Technology



Carpentry

The core curriculum is very important and is a pre-requisite for of all other areas,
but once a student finishes the core, they are then moved into a more focused specialized
area. If we are successful in implementing this curriculum in our construction trades
program, we may look at adopting it in other programs such as electrical and HVAC.
Industry recognized credentialing. According to the National Center for
Construction Education and Research (2019:
“In an effort to provide students and craft professionals with industry-recognized
credentials and assure national portability of skills, NCCER maintains a
credentialing and certification system through its Registry. This online database
tracks both training and/or assessments for its participants.”
The NCCER Registry System provides transcripts, certificates and wallet cards to
students who successfully complete NCCER training through an NCCER Accredited

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84

Training Sponsor. These industry credentials allow participants to provide easy
verification of training for current or potential employers. Any individual may earn an
NCCER training credential by passing the applicable module tests and performance
profiles. Use of the NCCER curriculum, while recommended, is not required to earn a
credential (National Center for Construction Education and Research, 2019). NCCER
maintains an online registry system, so employers can use NCCER’s Online
Verification through the Registry System and a Wallet Card Number to verify that a craft
professional has an NCCER credential and/or certification. Online Verification will
allow an employer to view an individual’s transcript indicating any NCCER credentials
he/she possesses.
According to NCCER (2019), in addition to the written assessments, NCCER
offers Performance Verifications designed to assess an individual’s skill level on specific
tasks within the corresponding craft. Performance Verifications require a participant to
demonstrate their skill level in a controlled, observable, and measurable manner and must
be administered by a qualified objective performance evaluator. After successfully
completing a Performance Verification, an individual becomes Performance Verified and
is awarded the credential as mentioned above. Individuals who pass both the written
assessment and corresponding Performance Verification become certified and are
awarded the Certified Plus, the highest credential offered by NCCER.
The Huntingdon County CTC feels the National Center for Construction
Education and Research curriculum satisfies the requirements of a quality preapprenticeship program, which are collaboration, integration of academic and
occupational instruction, preparing students for high skilled occupations, and providing

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85

industry recognized credentialing. The HCCTC will be moving forward with this
curriculum for the construction trades program for the 2020-21 school year.
Fiscal Implications
Switching a curriculum in a career and technology program, or any academic area
for that matter, does not come without a cost. The NCCER curriculum is credential
based and requires the instructor to become a certified NCCER instructor. This instructor
certification helps to maintain the integrity and consistency of the program so that a
student who leaves the Lehigh Valley Career and Technology Center for instance, has the
same level of training and education as the student who graduates from the Huntingdon
County Career and Technology Center. The cost associated with implementing the
NCCER curriculum is found below.
Item
NCCER Instructor

Quantity

Amount

Total

1

$240.64

$240.64

Substitute

2

$100.00

$200.00

Core Curriculum

15

$57.00

$855.00

Construction

15

$140.00

$2,100.00

Carpentry Level I

15

$140.00

$2,100.00

Shipping and

1

$221.63

$221.63

Training

Technology

Handling
Total

$5,717.27
Table3. Fiscal Implications

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86

The 2019-20 construction trades supplies budget was $17,815. Although the
COVID-19 pandemic handed us many disadvantages as educators, in a school that relies
heavily on hands-on instruction involving a lot of consumable supplies, it left us with a
financial surplus in some areas. This surplus in construction trades allowed us to move
forward with the purchase of materials and instruction training that otherwise would have
been pushed to the 2020-21 budget. With an anticipated pre-apprenticeship program to
start at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, the advanced purchase of materials and
instructor training was beneficial.
Future Research
Moving forward looking into the 2020-21 school year and beyond, additional
research in the area of successful pre-apprenticeship implementation and progress would
prove beneficial. My original plan was to have a pre-apprenticeship program running a
few months into the 2019-20 school year and do research on the successful
implementation and progress of the pre-apprenticeship program. However, with a job
change in November of 2019, I had to re-evaluate my project and its direction. This
resulted in a modification of the project. My focus and research then shifted to the
challenges associated with starting a pre-apprenticeship program and the qualities of a
pre-apprenticeship look like? I modified my original research questions. However, my
second research question- “What do instructors feel is necessary for successful
implementation of a pre-apprenticeship program and how do they envision the program
progressing?”- did not give me the results I anticipated. The instructors in electrical,
HVAC, welding, and construction were very familiar with pre-apprenticeships and
apprenticeships, and their interviews provided valuable information. This was not the

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

87

case in the other areas of study. It was interesting to learn what they did or did not know
about pre-apprenticeships, but it was also interesting to hear how similar such things as
clinical rotations in health occupations were to occupational training and the preapprenticeship model. To answer the question posed to the instructors as originally
intended will require additional research once the pre-apprenticeship is started and
running for a period of time.
Additional research in the differences and success rates of pre-apprenticeships and
apprenticeships with business sponsorships compared to pre-apprenticeships and
apprenticeships tied to associations or organizations used as employee agencies, such as
Associated Builders and Contractors. Each method has benefits and challenges, but
knowing which method is more successful would be very helpful to other secondary
schools looking to implement pre-apprenticeships.
Next Steps
If our construction trades students have success in the partnership between ABC
and employers, we will look to expand the curriculum into other program areas at the
Huntingdon County CTC. Specialized curriculum is provided by NCCER in the
following areas:


HVAC



Electrical



Plumbing



Welding



Numerous specialized construction areas


Concrete Finishing

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM


Drywall



Masonry



Painting



Scaffolding



Sheet Metal

88

Additional research will be done to determine which programs at the CTC would
benefit the most from a pre-apprenticeship program.
Summary
The U.S. Department of Labor’s quality pre-apprenticeship framework singles out
employers and other apprenticeship sponsors such as industry associations and labels
them critical components of pre-apprenticeship programs. Employers have a unique view
of the needs and requirements of a highly skilled workforce and bring a unique
perspective to pre-apprenticeship design and development (Nichols & Sofer, 2019).
Industry associations can also serve as a pathway for pre-apprenticeship employment
upon program completion because they reach a large number of individual employers.
Many times employers favor using industry associations to help curtail costs associated
with pre-apprenticeship programs. Our partnership with NCCER and respectively their
partnership with ABC and employers, I hope, will prove to be beneficial for the HCCTC
students. Based on four key components-collaboration, integration of academic and
occupational instruction, preparing students for high skilled occupations, and providing
industry recognized credentialing- I feel we have designed a quality pre-apprenticeship
program ready for implementation at the Huntingdon County Career and Technology
Center for the 2020-21 school year.

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89

As we move forward with the implementation for the 2020-21 school year we are
faced with some unique challenges involving COVID-19 and the Center for Disease
Control recommendations for the start of school. The biggest concern and the item that
would affect the pre-apprenticeship the most would be a modification in our schedule.
Many schools are moving to alternate days for their students which would translate into
alternate days for our students. The HCCTC is working diligently on a health and safety
plan for next year to address the possibility of a combination of remote and onsite
learning for our students.
The NCCER curriculum we are implementing has good online resources and
although not the best scenario for a career and technology course, will enable the students
to complete some material remotely. The remote work partnered with the hands-on skills
acquired while onsite will enable our students to complete the required work.
The Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center is committed to providing
a quality education to all students. We know this upcoming year will present some
challenges but we are focused on keeping our students safe and educating them to the
best of our ability. For this reason, the HCCTC is not deviating or changing our plan to
implement the pre-apprenticeship program in our construction trades course.

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Zemsky, R. (1994). What employers want: Employer perspective on youth, the youth
labor market, and prospects for a national system of youth apprenticeships.
Philadelphia, PA: National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce.
Retrieved from
https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED372193

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Appendices
Appendix A

Pre-Apprenticeship Program Employer Survey
IRB Approval Date: 11/24/2016 Expires:11/23/2020 IRB #-18-085

Question Title
1. From the list below, which best describes your company or business?
Automotive Technology
Computer Networking
Cosmetology
Health Occupations
Public Health and Safety
Welding Technology
Electrical Occupations
Collision Repair
Construction Trades
Culinary Arts/Restaurant
HVAC/Refrigeration
Sports, Exercise and Rehabilitation Therapy
Manufacturing
Other (please specify)
Question Title
2. How long have you been in business?
0-5 Years
6-10 Years
10+ Years
Question Title
3. Is your business or company affiliated with any professional organizations? e.g. AWS,
ADA, etc.
Question Title
4. Does your business or company have trouble finding qualified candidates when hiring?

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Yes
No
Question Title
5. Are you familiar with pre-apprenticeship and/or apprenticeship programs in your
industry?
Yes
No
Question Title
6. Were you or your business ever involved in a pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship
program?
Yes
No
Question Title
7. If you could increase your chances of obtaining a quality employee or employees
would you consider participating in a pre-apprenticeship program?
Yes
No
Question Title
8. Would you still be interested in participating in a pre-apprenticeship program if there
were costs associated with implementation?
Yes
No
Maybe
Question Title
9. If the costs associated with implementation were covered by an outside source and
there was no cost to your business would you be interested in participating in a preapprenticeship program?
Yes
No
Maybe
Question Title
10. Would you be interested in additional information on pre-apprenticeship and/or
apprenticeship programs
Yes
No
If yes, please provide contact information.

DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

Question Title
11. Please add any comments or questions you may have.

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Appendix B
Employee Interview Questions
11. What is your name?
12. How long have you been an instructor?
13. Do you belong to any professional organizations? e.g. AWS, etc?
14. What program do you teach?
15. Are you familiar with apprenticeship programs? Pre-apprenticeship programs?
16. Were you ever in an apprenticeship program?
17. Would you like to be an instructor for such a program?
18. Would you be willing to alter your curriculum, assuming it would still meet the
state’s program of study, to accommodate a pre-apprenticeship program?
19. Do you think your students would benefit from such a program? Why or why not?
20. Would you be willing to spend additional time preparing for a pre-apprenticeship
program?

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Appendix C
Institutional Review Board
California University of Pennsylvania
Morgan Hall, 310
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
instreviewboard@calu.edu
Melissa Sovak, Ph.D.
Dear Robert,
Please consider this email as official notification that your proposal titled “Improving
Student Employability Through a Pre-Apprenticeship Program in Career and Technical
Education” (Proposal #18-085) has been approved by the California University of
Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board as amended.
The effective date of approval is 11/24/19 and the expiration date is 11/23/20. These
dates must appear on the consent form.
Please note that Federal Policy requires that you notify the IRB promptly regarding any
of the following:
(1) Any additions or changes in procedures you might wish for your study
(additions or changes must be approved by the IRB before they are
implemented)
(2) Any events that affect the safety or well-being of subjects
(3) Any modifications of your study or other responses that are necessitated
by any events reported in (2).
(4) To continue your research beyond the approval expiration date of
11/23/20 you must file additional information to be considered for
continuing review. Please contact instreviewboard@calu.edu
Please notify the Board when data collection is complete.
Regards,
Melissa Sovak, PhD.
Chair, Institutional Review Board

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Appendix D
Brochure Front

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DEVELOPING A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Brochure Back

108

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Appendix E

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Appendix F

110

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