RIVERSIDE, CA — At California’s inaugural Advancing California Apprenticeship Summit on Oct. 7, 13 pre-apprenticeship graduates celebrated their commitment to registered apprenticeship during a symbolic “signing day” hosted by the Foundation for California Community Colleges and the LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network. The event showcased the power of California’s growing apprenticeship ecosystem to connect education with high-demand careers in fields such as automotive technology, education, healthcare, and social and human services.

This celebration, complete with balloon arches and students in technical gear, was a full-circle moment. It highlighted the power of the Inland Empire apprenticeship network, which began in 2018 as an initiative to build college-connected apprenticeship pathways from high school pre-apprenticeship completion to tuition-free community college apprenticeship. The Advancing California Apprenticeship Summit, which brought together more than 400 practitioners from school districts, county offices of education, and community colleges, showcased how it is making it possible for young people, like Rose M., to access earn-and-learn opportunities that lead to quality jobs. 

When Rose M. entered the Hawkeye pre-apprenticeship program, she was searching for direction after facing homelessness and self-doubt at just 15 years old.

“This program didn’t just teach me career skills; it gave me hope, direction, and confidence to believe in myself,” Rose said during her graduation speech. With the support of her apprentice success coaches and her paid Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) work experience at El Proyecto—a nonprofit that provides workforce development and community support—Rose transformed from a program participant into a full-time employee, helping others who face similar struggles. 

“Your past doesn’t define your future,” she told her fellow graduates. “If I could come from a place of brokenness and stand here today with new goals and new purpose—so can you.”

Rose, who is heading to San Bernardino Valley College to be a Social & Human Services apprentice, has long-term goals of earning a doctorate and mentoring others. 

“Success isn’t perfection—it’s about refusing to give up and continuing to move forward even when life feels impossible,” she said. 

For Gonzalo G., a Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) pre-apprentice graduate, the program became the bridge from uncertainty to opportunity.

“I didn’t know what to do — I was lost,” he said. “Maybe college, maybe a job — I just didn’t know where to start.”

Taking that first step into the RCOE pre-apprenticeship program became a turning point. Through hands-on training, mentorship, and skill development, Gonzalo was given the confidence to pursue higher education. He is now interviewing with automotive employers and preparing to enter Riverside City College’s automotive apprenticeship program. 

“This program helped me handle challenges, grow professionally, and see my future more clearly,” he said. “One of the biggest lessons I learned is that we grow together — everyone here helped me see what I’m capable of.”

Like Rose and Golanzo, fellow graduate Maria M. discovered her sense of purpose through pre-apprenticeship. A former foster youth, Marin learned about the pre-apprenticeship opportunity through her social worker and, without hesitation, signed up. 

“The moment he told me, I was like, I’m signing up. I didn’t even stop to think about it — I just knew I wanted to start my career now,” Maria said.

A 2025 graduate of Valley View High School in Ontario, Maria was joined at the signing day ceremony by her former high school principal, counselor, and two of her teachers. Through the pre-apprenticeship program, Maria learned professional skills like résumé writing, interviewing, and communication, while also building life-long friendships. 

“It actually brought me to tears seeing how we were all brought together by this program,” she said. “We built a strong bond, and I’m so glad this opportunity helped me learn new skills and meet amazing people.”

Now entering Norco College as an early childhood education apprentice, Maria credits the program with helping her on her higher education journey. Her long-term goal is to be a second-grade teacher, and eventually a school principal and advocate for inclusive education.

Rose, Golanzo, and Maria were three of 50 candidates from local high schools in the Inland Empire who were offered the opportunity to participate in the pre-apprenticeship program, as part of a California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship grant from the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards. LAUNCH also received support from New America Partnership to Advance Youth Entrepreneurship (PAYA).  The candidates, all 2025 high school graduates, participated in a summer bridge between high school and community college that provided training and the opportunity to earn up to $3,000. 

“Pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships give students the structure, support, and paid experience that connect learning to real opportunity,” said Charles Henkels, Director of the LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network. “As students enter apprenticeships, they immediately see that the programs are more than just training; they’re connections from education into real careers. By combining classroom learning with on-the-job experience, we are unlocking opportunities for young people to build lasting skills, earn wages, and contribute immediately in their communities.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced $30 million in new funding for apprenticeship programs across California, benefiting 70 programs, including LAUNCH, to provide career opportunities for more than 11,000 apprentices. The award supports nontraditional sectors such as health care, education, and technology and underscores the urgency of scaling earn-and-learn pathways statewide.

Tim Aldinger, Vice President of Workforce & Climate Innovation at Foundation for California Community Colleges, emphasizes the importance of apprenticeship within California’s broader educational offerings.

“The social and economic mobility promise of education, and particularly higher education, is maintained with the highest consistency through programs that blend earning and learning, like pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship,” said Aldinger. “In my own experience and what I see repeated over and over again is that these programs are what most of our fellow community members are looking for.  It was exhilarating to be in a room with 400 people dedicated to making it available to all California students.”

The day of speakers and celebration ended with the Summit Declaration Ceremony. The Summit Declaration was meant to commemorate the Advancing California Apprenticeship Summit’s inaugural convening. Speakers included representatives from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, California State University San Bernardino, the American Federation of Teachers, local elected officials, Assemblymember Juan Carrillo, Victor Valley College School Trustee Steve Tyrrell, and Riverside City Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson. Following the speakers, three apprentices —Skyler James, Elexia Payan, and Arlington Mam —read the declaration in front of a large audience composed of education and workforce development professionals, community members, and employers. 

During the Summit Declaration, Skyler James, a Cybersecurity Technician Apprentice, stated, “We believe apprenticeship is more than a training model — it is a movement. A movement rooted in the conviction that learning and working must go hand in hand, that education and employment are not parallel paths but intertwined forces capable of unlocking human potential.” 

To learn more about our apprenticeship pathways, visit the FoundationCCC website and the LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network website.