What Apprenticely does

Apprenticely is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization and apprenticeship intermediary headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded in 2019 as the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS) and rebranded as Apprenticely in April 2024, the organization connects employers across healthcare, manufacturing, IT, energy, transportation, banking, financial services, and broadband with career seekers through Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Work-Based Learning Internships, and Pre-Apprenticeship Training. Apprenticely operates as a free service for both employers and career seekers, delivering end-to-end program management including DOL paperwork handling, talent acquisition, customized classroom training coordination, and project management. As of its most recent reported milestones, the organization has supported 2,400+ career seekers, partnered with 250+ employers, and generated $215 million in cumulative economic impact from 2020 through 2025, with Arkansas ranking second nationally on a per-capita basis in apprenticeships created.

Apprenticely's underlying operating model is a multi-stakeholder intermediary platform rather than a technology product. Its proprietary components are its apprenticeship sponsor registration with the U.S. Department of Labor, its relationships with state workforce agencies (Arkansas Office of Skills Development, Arkansas Workforce Connections), educational institutions (Pulaski Technical College, UAMS, University of Central Arkansas), and industry associations (Arkansas Advanced Energy Association, Northwest Arkansas Council), and its project management methodology for cohort launches. The organization handles all regulatory apprenticeship paperwork as a registered sponsor and provides direct human-mediated talent matching, rather than operating a software platform. Its brand, regulatory status, and relationships constitute the primary intangible assets supporting the model.

The organization is funded entirely through grants and contributions rather than fees. Revenue streams include federal Department of Labor apprenticeship expansion grants, state workforce development funds (including the State Apprenticeship Expansion Fund and the Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund), private foundation grants (Walton Family Foundation), corporate sponsorships, and individual donations via PayPal. Apprenticely pursues a braided three-tier funding model combining state, federal, and private sources. Its go-to-market combines direct enterprise engagement with employers (Walmart, J.B. Hunt, UAMS, Arkansas Children's, Harps Food are named partners) with a partner-organization channel that extends reach through state agencies, community-based organizations, and educational institutions. The organization announced national expansion in 2026 alongside the formation of Apprenticeship for America (AFA).

Name

Apprenticely

Legal name

Apprenticely

Website

https://apprenticely.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Apprenticely is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit apprenticeship intermediary connecting 250+ employers with career seekers in healthcare, manufacturing, IT, and other sectors across Arkansas and, as of 2026, nationally. It provides free Registered Apprenticeship programs, internships, and pre-apprenticeship training funded by government grants and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Internship-to-Apprenticeship & Early Talent Pipeline Programs (EDAMAKAL), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO)

Keywords

• Registered apprenticeship programs
• Workforce development services
• Apprenticeship intermediary services
• Talent pipeline programs
• Pre-apprenticeship training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Apprenticely is funded through government grants including Department of Labor funding, state workforce development funds, and federal apprenticeship expansion grants such as the Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund (AMAIF).
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Receives corporate sponsorship funding from companies seeking to support workforce development and apprenticeship programs. Services are provided free of charge to both employers and career seekers.
3. Donations: Accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations through PayPal platform to support skills training scholarships and workforce development programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Apprenticely is a nonprofit apprenticeship intermediary that delivers free Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Work-Based-Learning Internships, and Pre-Apprenticeship Training programs connecting employers seeking talent with career seekers across industries including IT, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Energy, Transportation, and Banking. The organization provides end-to-end services including talent acquisition, customized training coordination, DOL paperwork management, and program implementation through its Project Management Office.

Product overview

Apprenticely is a nonprofit workforce development organization that offers a unified suite of apprenticeship and internship programs connecting employers with career seekers. The core offerings include Registered Apprenticeship Programs (full-time paid positions with on-the-job learning and technical instruction), Work-Based-Learning Internships (wage-subsidized internship opportunities), and Pre-Apprenticeship Training that prepares individuals for apprenticeships. These are supported by Talent Acquisition Services for candidate matching, Customized Classroom Training for occupation-specific curricula, and a Project Management Office for implementation support. Programs span multiple industry sectors including IT, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Energy, Transportation, Banking, and Financial Services. The organization operates nationally after rebranding from Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS) in April 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Registered Apprenticeship Programs Employer-driven workforce development model combining on-the-job learning with related technical instruction. Full-time paid positions where apprentices earn competitive wages while receiving training and mentorship. Apprenticely provides free services including talent acquisition, DOL paperwork handling, customized training coordination, and project management to employers launching these programs.
• Work-Based-Learning Internship Program Internship program where Apprenticely covers intern wages (up to $7,200 for 3 months) while employers gain extra talent. Employers have successfully transitioned 90% of interns into full-time positions. Targets career seekers who lack experience to qualify for traditional positions.
• Pre-Apprenticeship Training Training programs that prepare individuals for Registered Apprenticeships, providing foundational skills and knowledge needed to succeed in apprenticeship positions across various industries including IT, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Energy, and Transportation.
• IT Training (ReSkill Program) IT-focused training program providing tech training resources, career path discovery assistance, and educational webinars to help career seekers enter technology fields. Includes the Reskill Arkansas IT training program managed by Career Coach/Talent Recruiter Caitlynn Raines.

Quantifiable outcome

• 84% average retention rate for apprentices
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• WalmartflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor employer partner that piloted Registered Apprenticeship cohorts with Apprenticely. Based on positive results, Walmart expanded apprenticeships across multiple occupations including IT, retail, supply chain, and facilities maintenance. One of the largest apprenticeship programs with Apprenticely, setting the template for large-scale employer cohorts.
• UAMS (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor healthcare partner for apprenticeships, one of the largest healthcare organizations in Arkansas. Working on healthcare apprenticeship programs as part of Apprenticely's expansion into the healthcare sector.
• Arkansas Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare apprenticeship partner serving urban healthcare needs in Arkansas. Part of the healthcare sector expansion strategy.
• Arkansas Rural Health PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership addressing both urban and rural health needs in Arkansas and beyond. Collaborating on healthcare apprenticeship programs for rural communities.
• Pulaski Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner providing related technical instruction for apprenticeship programs. Partnership example with Virco Manufacturing for industrial maintenance apprenticeships.
• PeopleShorescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology company that Apprenticely helped bring to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. PeopleShores will handle approximately 500 apprentices and Apprenticely serves as their apprenticeship sponsor nationwide across multiple locations.
• Arkansas Office of Skills Development (OSD)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner managing State Apprenticeship Expansion Fund (SAEF) and workforce development initiatives. Apprenticely works with OSD to deliver apprenticeship programs and has received formula funding based on apprenticeship activity.
• Arkansas Workforce Connections OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState workforce agency that received federal selection to administer the national Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund (AMAIF) grants. Apprenticely serves as operational partner.
• Arkansas Advanced Energy Association (AAEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlternative energy association partner. Initial discussions about replicating Apprenticely's model evolved into a working relationship where AAEA handles political advocacy while Apprenticely provides apprenticeship sponsorship services.
• Harps FoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in launching the first-in-the-nation Meat Cutter Registered Apprenticeship Program. Program is expanding into 40 Harps locations, representing a new sector and occupation for apprenticeships.
• Northwest Arkansas CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development partner that collaborated with ACDS (now Apprenticely) in 2019 to launch a tech-focused apprenticeship program targeting data analytics, web development, and cybersecurity.
• Blue Ribbon CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished by former Governor Asa Hutchinson in 2017 to report on economic competitiveness of Arkansas in data analytics and computing. Commission includes representatives from top Arkansas companies and helped establish the foundation for Apprenticely's work.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Apprenti: Apprenti is a nonprofit apprenticeship intermediary that recruits, trains, and places apprentices in technology roles across multiple U.S. states. Like Apprenticely, it serves as a DOL-recognized intermediary connecting employers to pre-screened tech talent through Registered Apprenticeship programs.
• Per Scholas: Per Scholas is a national nonprofit that provides tuition-free IT training and connects graduates to employer partners, often through apprenticeship and apprenticeship-like models. Directly comparable to Apprenticely's IT ReSkill program and DOL intermediary role in the tech apprenticeship space.
• NPower: NPower is a nonprofit that provides free technology training and job placement services to military veterans and young adults from underserved communities. Comparable to Apprenticely's career-seeker training and employer-matching model, with overlap in IT apprenticeship/talent pipeline offerings.
• Apprenticeship Carolina: Apprenticeship Carolina is a state-level apprenticeship intermediary (part of the South Carolina Technical College System) that supports employers in launching Registered Apprenticeship programs. Comparable as a state intermediary model that Apprenticely may encounter as it expands nationally, and the prior employer of Apprenticely's Lonnie Emard.
• LaunchCode: LaunchCode is a nonprofit that provides free technology training and apprenticeship-style placement programs connecting career seekers with employer partners in software and tech. Comparable to Apprenticely's IT apprenticeship pipeline and employer-funded free training model, though narrower in occupational focus.

Broad incumbents

• Generation (Generation You Employed): Generation is a global nonprofit that prepares unemployed and underemployed individuals for careers through short-term, employer-aligned training programs. It is comparable as a scaled workforce development intermediary with employer-funded placement models across multiple sectors, though it operates more broadly than Apprenticely's apprenticeship focus.
• Year Up: Year Up is a large U.S. nonprofit workforce development program that connects young adults to corporate internships and apprenticeships with a focus on IT and business roles. Comparable to Apprenticely in mission and employer-partnership model, though its program structure (1-year intensive) differs from Registered Apprenticeships.
• Jewish Vocational Service (JVS): JVS is a national nonprofit workforce development organization offering training, apprenticeships, and job placement across multiple sectors and geographies. Comparable as a DOL-recognized apprenticeship intermediary with similar employer-funded placement and career-coaching services.
• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill operates one of the largest U.S. nonprofit workforce development footprints, providing training and job placement including Registered Apprenticeships across many states. Comparable as a scaled nonprofit intermediary; less specialized than Apprenticely's apprenticeship-first focus but operating in the same funding and customer ecosystems.

Others

• Workforce Development Board Intermediaries (state-level, e.g., Arkansas Workforce Connections): State and local workforce development boards administer federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds and operate apprenticeship intermediaries. They are channel partners and occasional collaborators/grantees with Apprenticely, and represent the institutional ecosystem the company navigates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/apprenticely
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@apprenticely
• Facebookfacebook.com/Apprenticely
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apprenticely
• Instagraminstagram.com/apprenticely

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Apprenticely