Clark College helps open doors to the trades

For Immediate Release
December 6, 2016
For additional information:
Hannah Erickson, Communications & Marketing
T: 360-992-2954 E: herickson@clark.edu

New Pre-Apprentice Program is a low-cost, convenient way to prepare for new career

VANCOUVER, Wash. – For many individuals, a career in the trades can lead to a newfound financial stability. But getting a job in fields like construction, welding, and machining these days takes more than just walking onto a job site with a “Help Wanted” sign in one hand. That’s why Clark College has developed a new Pre-Apprentice Program that allows interested individuals to explore and prepare for careers in the trades.

The program, which takes 11 weeks to complete and costs just $25, prepares adults age 18 and over to go to work, enter an apprenticeship, or attend Clark College. (An additional one-time $25 application fee to Clark College is also required.) Graduates earn certifications in First Aid, Flagging, Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA 10) – certificates that would normally cost at least $300 to earn separately.

Clark introduced the program with a small pilot cohort in the 2016 fall quarter. Already, some students from that cohort are successfully transferring to the next phase in their careers. Now Clark is looking to broaden the reach of the program to help more individuals in the region. The program was made possible through a grant from Washington State Workforce Training and Education Board.

Anyone interested in the Pre-Apprentice Program can visit www.clark.edu/cc/pre-apprentice or call Monica Wilson at 360-992-2780.

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving up to 13,000 students per quarter, Clark College is Washington State’s second largest single-campus, for-credit community college. The college currently offers classes at two satellite locations: one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus and one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver. Additionally, its Economic & Community Development program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.