Apprenticeship Readiness Fund

What Apprenticeship Readiness Fund does

The LA/OC BCTC Apprenticeship Readiness Fund is a non-profit workforce development organization established in 2017 by the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. It delivers free apprenticeship readiness training across multiple sites in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, using the industry-recognized Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) backed by North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU). Its core products are the MC3 Training program and the broader Apprenticeship Readiness Programs, which combine classroom learning, hands-on projects, industry certifications, and wraparound support services to prepare participants for placement into union apprenticeships.

The organization's primary customer segments are job seekers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties seeking entry into skilled trades, with a secondary focus on formerly incarcerated individuals served through a partnership with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Placement destinations include a distributed set of union locals — Ironworkers Local 433, Laborers Local 300, Sheet Metal LU 105, Carpenters Union, and Plumber/Local 78 — across 140 skilled crafts and 260 authorized program partners, with 1,850+ individuals placed in registered apprenticeships since founding. The distribution model is community-led, relying on referral partners, community presentations, multi-site physical training locations, and direct self-serve enrollment through the organization's Get Started pathway.

The business model is non-profit and non-revenue-generating from participants; programs are offered at no cost and are funded through the founding labor council and partner/government/labor support. There is no commercial product, no paid customer relationship, and no disclosed pricing structure. Marketing is conducted via organic social channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook), email newsletter, community presentations, and partner referrals. The organization is headquartered at 1626 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, and operates exclusively in the LA/Orange County regional market with no global footprint.

Name

Apprenticeship Readiness Fund

Legal name

LA/OC BCTC Apprenticeship Readiness Fund

Website

https://laocmc3.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The LA/OC BCTC Apprenticeship Readiness Fund is a non-profit, founded in 2017, that delivers free NABTU-backed MC3 training to job seekers across Los Angeles and Orange Counties, connecting participants to union apprenticeships in 140 skilled crafts through 260 partner organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development & Apprenticeship Training

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Workforce development training
• Apprenticeship readiness programs
• Skilled trades preparation
• Union construction trades
• MC3 curriculum training

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workforce Development Services: Free workforce training programs funded by organizational partnerships and potentially government/labor union support. Services are provided at no cost to participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Apprenticeship Readiness Fund delivers free, industry-recognized MC3 (Multi-Craft Core Curriculum) training and apprenticeship readiness programs that prepare job seekers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties for placement into union apprenticeships across 140 skilled crafts. Programs combine classroom learning, hands-on projects, and full wraparound support services, and are backed by North America Building Trades Unions (NABTU).

Product overview

The Apprenticeship Readiness Fund operates as a unified workforce development organization offering two interconnected programs. The MC3 Training (Multi-Craft Core Curriculum) serves as the primary industry-recognized training curriculum, while the Apprenticeship Readiness Programs provide the comprehensive delivery structure with multiple sites throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Together, these programs connect participants to union apprenticeships through free training, mentorship, wraparound support, and direct placement pathways to 140 skilled crafts across 260 authorized program partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MC3 Training (Multi-Craft Core Curriculum)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,850+ individuals placed in registered apprenticeships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered founding/flagship, core and minor.

• Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Councilfounding/flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Established the Apprenticeship Readiness Fund in 2017 as the parent organization. The LA/OC BCTC created the fund to open pathways to union apprenticeships across skilled trades and strengthen communities by connecting residents to high-demand union apprenticeships.
• North America Building Trades Unions (NABTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNABTU backs the industry-recognized Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3), which is the core training program used by the Apprenticeship Readiness Fund to prepare participants for union apprenticeships.
• Anti-Recidivism CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing MC3 training and apprenticeship placement services specifically for formerly incarcerated individuals. Multiple graduates (Charles Caldwell, Randi Dees, Franklin Perez, Stephen Hill) have come through this partnership.
• Destination CrenshawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership through which recruitment presentations are conducted. Stephen Hill testimonial mentions attending a community presentation at Destination Crenshaw.
• Ironworkers Local 433coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnion apprenticeship partner that accepts graduates from the MC3 program. Graduate Monserrat Roldan was placed in the Winter cohort.
• Laborers Local 300coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnion apprenticeship partner accepting program graduates through the Anti-Recidivism Coalition partnership.
• Sheet Metal LU 105coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnion apprenticeship partner accepting program graduates through the Anti-Recidivism Coalition partnership.
• Carpenters UnioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnion apprenticeship partner that has accepted graduates from the MC3 program, including Franklin Perez.
• Plumber/Local 78coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnion apprenticeship partner that has accepted graduates from the MC3 program, including Stephen Hill.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit offering career training and corporate placements for young adults from underserved communities. Comparable as a mission-driven workforce pipeline with wraparound support services, employer partnerships, and measurable placement outcomes, though focused on tech/business roles rather than skilled trades.
• Job Corps: Federally funded national program providing career technical training, including construction trades, to young adults. Comparable as a large-scale workforce training provider in the skilled trades but operates under a much broader vocational mandate and federal administration rather than a focused union pipeline.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technical training and career advancement for adults from underserved communities. Comparable as a no-cost, employer-aligned workforce training organization with proven placement metrics and a national footprint, though concentrated in IT rather than construction trades.

Others

• Building Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Programs (multi-council): The nationwide network of building trades pre-apprenticeship programs affiliated with NABTU and operating under the MC3 curriculum across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable as the umbrella of peer organizations delivering the same MC3 curriculum to other markets, representing both direct peers in their respective regions and a network the Fund could scale into.

Emerging players

• Anti-Recidivism Coalition: California-based reentry nonprofit providing supportive services, advocacy, and career pathway programs for formerly incarcerated individuals. Comparable as the Fund's named reentry partner offering MC3 training for returning citizens into union construction apprenticeships, with overlapping target population and outcomes framework.
• GRID Alternatives: National nonprofit providing clean-energy workforce training and placements, including solar installation pathways with strong ties to construction trades. Comparable as a mission-driven workforce pipeline serving underserved communities into construction-adjacent careers, with similar wraparound support and employer placement mechanics.

Direct peers

• TradesFutures (formerly Nontraditional Employment for Women): Workforce development organization preparing women and nonbinary individuals for skilled trades careers through pre-apprenticeship training and union placement. Comparable as a pre-apprenticeship readiness provider bridging underserved populations into union construction trades, with overlapping curriculum and placement mechanics.
• Helmets to Hardhats: A national nonprofit that connects transitioning military members, reservists, and veterans to registered apprenticeship programs in the building trades. Directly comparable as a union-affiliated pre-apprenticeship readiness pipeline serving similar trades and union placement outcomes, though at national scale versus the Fund's LA/OC focus.

Regional players

• Conservation Corps of Long Beach: Southern California-based youth workforce development organization providing job training and career pathways, including pathways into construction and trades. Comparable as a regional SoCal pre-apprenticeship and workforce readiness provider serving similar demographics with similar wraparound supports.
• LA County America’s Job Centers of California: LA County-operated workforce development network providing job training, apprenticeships, and career services under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Comparable as a publicly funded regional workforce pipeline with overlapping apprenticeship pathways and similar target populations in the same LA geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100045092171429
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apprenticeship-readiness-fund
• Instagraminstagram.com/laocbuildingtradesarf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Apprenticeship Readiness Fund