The Aspen Institute

This publication by the Aspen Institute Workforce Strategies Initiative shares research from interviews with leaders from 25 promising and innovative pre-apprenticeship programs from across the country. The interviews revealed factors that impact how programs are designed and how they might better be utilized as part of a broader workforce development strategy for the construction sector. The publication reviews program leaders’ perspectives on factors influencing the design of their programs, opportunities and challenges associated with financing the work, the merits of incorporating green elements into curricula, and other issues. WSI also makes several recommendations designed to promote workforce development policies that better support and assist these programs as they seek to develop a strong pipeline of employees for the construction industry. Funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the report is part of a project investigating how pre-apprenticeship programs are used to train low-income and disadvantaged adults for careers in construction.