Applicant Frequently Asked Questions

Apprenti is for anyone looking for a path and a plan towards a career in tech, focusing primarily on women, veterans, and people of color. If you are 18 years old or older, have high school-level education, and are eligible to work in the United States for the duration of the program (i.e., I-9 eligible) you can apply for the Apprenti program. Characteristics of successful candidates may include persistence and ability to learn new concepts quickly; collaborative spirit and ability to get along well with a variety of personalities and backgrounds; responsibility and determination to complete the program and get the job done.

No, you do not need a degree to apply—only a high school education is required. That being said, if you have a degree and are having a hard time getting a job in the tech field, Apprenti can help get you in the door. No prior technical experience is required to be accepted into our program.

Apprenti is employer demand-based. Apprenti staff will reach out to candidates to schedule interviews when our hiring partners have openings. Candidates will be selected for interviews based on their occupational interest and location, and when they passed the assessment. There is no set schedule for the frequency of interviews.

The number of available apprenticeships is based on the interest of hiring partners. We add more opportunities on a rolling basis and continue to grow the number of available apprenticeships.

You have 10 days to complete the assessment once you start it.  You can complete one section of the assessment and return later to complete another section, but you must complete all three sections of the assessment within 10 days. If you do not complete all sections within 10 days, you will receive a score of 0 for any incomplete sections.

Yes, you are offered a second chance to retake the assessment. After that, you will need to wait three months to take it again. Each applicant has four total attempts to pass the assessment. We have test prep materials available on our website to help you study. Your highest scores from each assessment area are used to determine your total score. Many applicants need to take the assessment more than once in order to pass, so don’t be discouraged if your score isn’t what you hoped on your first attempt. The score required to pass the assessment is 80.

Yes, you can select the occupations that interest you most when applying, and we also use location as one of the selection criteria when selecting candidates to interview. However, please only select occupations that actually interest you. Choosing all occupations will not improve your chances of being selected for an apprenticeship.

We will enroll you in accelerated full-time classroom-based technical training that will last two to five months. Once you complete training, you’ll proceed to one year of paid on-the-job training with your employer. After graduating from your apprenticeship, you will have the opportunity to qualify for a full-time job at your hiring company.

The technical training period is full-time. You should expect to spend a full 40 hours per week in class in addition to homework requirements outside of class. Some apprentices will learn faster than others and require more or less time on a weekly basis. Missing class is not advised. Courses are fast-paced and cover a depth of material that make each lesson difficult to make up if missed. Working part-time during technical training is not a viable option for most apprentices.

You may be able to forgo some or all of the technical training by passing a placement test or showing proof that you’ve previously completed the course. Not all courses have placement tests available, and you may need to retake a course if the course material has been updated since you completed it. Requests to forgo training are evaluated on a case by case basis.

The training is currently offered at no cost to apprentices. Expenses are covered by funding from employer contributions, grants, and donations.

Technical training is usually held in a classroom setting, but may be delivered online or in a workshop format for smaller cohorts or highly specialized employer requirements. Course material depends on the apprenticeship occupation. For example, if you are training to become a cybersecurity analyst, you’ll take coursework in networks, security and risk management, and intrusion detection/penetration testing/ethical hacking. These topics will be associated with industry-recognized certifications where appropriate. Instructors and employers are aware some apprentices may not have formal tech backgrounds. For this reason, training is designed to be comprehensive so all apprentices can be prepared for on-the-job tasks.

Yes, upon successful completion of technical training, apprentices will transition into their on-the-job training (OJT) position. That being said, apprentices must keep up with their competency benchmarks throughout OJT and behave professionally or they risk the cancellation of their apprenticeship.

Apprenti partners with many companies and institutions around the United States including Amazon, F5, Microsoft, Wayfair, Kroger, Huntington Bank, Harvard University’s IT Department, BlueCross BlueShield, and more. New hiring partners and markets are added as our program continues to grow. While not all of our partners are traditional tech companies, they all have a need for well-trained tech workers.

As a Registered Apprenticeship program, Apprenti sets minimum rates for pay based on location and occupation. These rates are reduced from the normal rate of pay for that occupation in recognition of the fact that apprentices are still learning how to do the job. After six months, apprentices will receive a pay increase if they continue to meet competency requirements. Apprentices are also entitled to health and dental benefits over the course of their job training and potentially other company standard benefits, such as 401(k) retirement savings or a health care savings account.

We ask our hiring partners to plan to have post-apprenticeship full time employment positions available for each apprentice they take on. However, employers are not required to retain their graduated apprentices.

Review the Apprenti “Navigating the Accommodation Process” and “Disclosing a Disability – Know Your Rights” page to learn more about the accommodation process for candidates and apprentices. If you need accommodation, please contact the Apprenti accessibility team at accommodations@apprenticareers.org or (206) 513-7924.