What are Apprenticeships?

Program Types

 

1. Apprenticeship
A paid job combining hands-on work with structured training over a defined period, preparing participants for a career pathway.

• Registered Apprenticeship: An apprenticeship that meets standards set by a government or accrediting body and typically results in a recognized credential or certification upon completion.

• Unregistered Apprenticeship: A paid, structured training role that follows an apprenticeship-style model but is not formally registered with a government or accrediting body. These programs may not offer a credential but can still provide valuable skills, experience, and pathways to employment. They are often more informal and flexible in structure and duration, they offer valuable skill development, hands-on experience, and career-relevant training. Unregistered apprenticeships can and often do lead to full-time employment.

Apprenticeships, both registered and unregistered, provide paid, structured, work-based learning and often serve as a stepping stone to advanced apprenticeships or long-term career paths.

 

2. Pre-Apprenticeship

A pre-apprenticeship is a training or preparatory program that prepares participants with the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to successfully enter and complete a registered apprenticeship.

A pre-apprenticeship typically provides:

• Basic technical skills related to a specific trade or industry
• Foundational education (e.g., math, safety, tool use, workplace expectations)
• Career readiness skills
• Support services such as mentoring, tutoring, or job placement assistance

Pre-apprenticeships are often aimed at students, career changers, or underrepresented groups and are structured to align with registered apprenticeship requirements, increasing the chances of being accepted into a full apprenticeship program. Pre-apprenticeships often are connected to a Registered Apprenceship program.

 

3. Internship
An Internship is a short-term work experience designed to help students explore a career field. Internships may be paid or unpaid and are less structured than apprenticeships. Internships generally do not provide a formal credential, but they give students exposure to a workplace, hands-on skill building, and professional connections.

Internships are often exploratory, allowing students to determine if a field or industry aligns with their career

 

4. Cooperative Education

A Co-op internship (cooperative education internship) is an extended, structured, work-based learning experience that combines academic study with paid or unpaid employment related to a student’s field of study.

It typically involves:

• Hands-on, real-world work experience with an employer
• Formal coordination with an educational institution
• Defined learning objectives that connect classroom learning to workplace practice
• Extended or alternating work terms (often longer than a traditional internship)
• Academic credit in some programs

Co-op internships allow participants to apply theoretical knowledge in a work setting, build technical and soft skills, and gain industry experience while completing their education.

A co-op internship integrates education and employment to prepare students for long-term career success.

 

5. On-the-Job Training Programs

On-the-Job Training Programs are paid positions where the employee learns skills while performing their job duties. Unlike apprenticeships, these roles may not have a formal training curriculum or credential, but they still provide career-relevant experience and skill development. These positions can lead to long-term employment and are considered a type of work-based learning.

• Requires little or no prior experience.
• Often shorter or more flexible than apprenticeships.
• Focuses on learning through performing actual job tasks rather than a structured classroom component.
• May not include a formal curriculum or credential but provides career-relevant experience, skill development, and workplace expectations.
• Can serve as a stepping stone to apprenticeships or other full-time employment.

 

6. Paid Work-Based Learning (WBL)
Any experience in a real-world work setting that combines practical job experience with skill development.

• Includes apprenticeships, internships, and jobs with on-the-job training.
• Focuses on learning through doing, gaining career-relevant skills, and exposure to professional expectations.

 

7. Earn-While-You-Learn
A pathway where participants receive pay while gaining skills, training, or credentials.

• Includes apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, structured internships/co-ops, and jobs with on-the-job training.
• Emphasizes, real-world experience, and potential for employment and career growth.
• Earn-while-you-learn programs provide financial accessibility, allow students and graduates to gain real-world experience while earning income, and often lead to employment opportunities and career growth.

 

8. Incumbent Worker Training Programs

An incumbent worker training program is a workforce development initiative that provides training to current employees to upgrade their skills, increase productivity, or adapt to new technologies or business processes.

It typically:

• Serves existing (incumbent) employees, not new hires
• Focuses on skill advancement or reskilling, such as technical, digital, or supervisory skills
• Helps employers remain competitive and retain talent
• Is often funded or subsidized by public workforce agencies or grants
• May lead to industry-recognized credentials or certifications

An incumbent worker training program helps current employees gain new or enhanced skills to meet evolving workplace needs while supporting employees.