Pre-Apprenticeship
Chicago, IL
Posted 2 weeks ago
City Colleges of Chicago profile
Closes: December 31, 2026

Website City Colleges of Chicago

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Prepare for future tech opportunities in Chicago through the Pre-Apprenticeship. The Pre-Apprenticeship is not a single program or one-off event. It’s a deliberate culmination and continuum of career readiness, skill-building, and preparation activities that a student moves through to reach a readiness threshold. The Pre-Apprenticeship is designed to complement academic instruction with career navigation and career and employability skills development, assess students’ work-readiness and connect students to tech apprenticeship and other work-based learning opportunities with Chicago’s leading employers.

Pre-Apprenticeship Details

Participants will:

Build foundational tech and professional skills
Receive career-focused coaching and job readiness support
Learn about pathways into paid apprenticeships and tech careers
Connect with mentors, employers, and industry professionals
Prepare for future internships, apprenticeships, and entry-level tech opportunities

For you to be a successful in the Pre-Apprenticeship you are:

A student who takes initiative
Goal-oriented and motivated to grow
Comfortable learning in a self-paced environment

Apprenticeships are typically in these Tech Pathways:

Cybersecurity
Software Development
IT Support
Data Analytics
Cloud Computing
AI and Machine Learning
Computer Science

Eligibility and Next Steps to Apply for the Pre-Apprenticeship

Current City Colleges Students

CCC students already enrolled in degree technology courses are eligible to complete a pre-apprenticeship application.

Returning City Colleges Students

Returning students must first re-apply to City Colleges of Chicago and upon demonstration of enrollment in tech degree course, they can complete a pre-apprenticeship application.

New City Colleges of Chicago Students

Students who are new or are transferring to City Colleges of Chicago for the first time must first apply to City Colleges of Chicago and upon demonstration of enrollment in tech degree course, they can complete a pre-apprenticeship application.

For Chicago Public School Recent Graduates

If you’re planning to take tech courses at CCC, you may be eligible for Aim to Launch IT — a free summer program where you take college-level tech courses this summer, at no cost, and start building the skills and experience you need to compete for tech opportunities at CCC.

Aim to Launch IT offers two tracks depending on where you are in your tech journey. Choose the one that fits you.

Track A: New to tech? Start here. If you haven’t taken tech or computer science courses before, this track is for you. You’ll start with introductory coursework that builds the foundational skills you need — no prior experience required.

Track B: Already took tech classes in high school? If you took tech or computer science courses at your CPS high school, this track picks up where you left off. You’ll move into more advanced coursework, building on what you already know.

Apply Below When You Are Eligible (enrolled in tech degree courses)

Get a head start on your tech career and position yourself for future opportunities.

*Participants who successfully complete the Pre-Apprenticeship will be better positioned for upcoming opportunities.

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

DO NOT PROVIDE YOUR CPS EMAIL ADDRESS

Are you currently enrolled at CCC? *

CCC Student ID (optional)

Home College *

What Academic Plan are you currently or planning to enroll? *

What is your DECLARED plan of study?

When will you complete your CCC certificate or degree? *

Please provide an approximate date of CCC program completion

What is your GPA? *

How many credits will you have toward your TECH degree by the end of Summer 2026? *

Please select the courses that you have you completed and passed? *

Select all that apply by pressing and holding the CTRL key

Are you a One Million Degrees (OMD) scholar?" *

Are you a One Million Degrees (OMD) scholar?"

Are you 18 years of age or older? *

Are you legally authorized to work in the USA? *

Are you currently employed? *

If any, how many years of paid tech work experience do you have? *

*Paid work experience is not required to participate in our Work-based learning programs

Which industry credentials do you have now? *

You may select one or more options. To select multiple options, press and hold the Ctrl key while clicking your selections.

Which industry credentials are you working towards? *

You may select one or more options. To select multiple options, press and hold the Ctrl key while clicking your selections.

Which industry credentials are you interested in pursuing? *

You may select one or more options. To select multiple options, press and hold the Ctrl key while clicking your selections.

If you are a recent CPS graduate, what campus are you planning to attend for Summer classes? (optional)

Information Technology Aim to Launch Track or General Track taking Information Technology classes

If you are a recent CPS graduate, please select the Summer track that fits you: (optional)

How much time can you dedicate to this pre-apprenticeship? *

By clicking this box, I acknowledge that I am able to commit to the number of hours per week as required for the pre apprenticeship. *

By clicking this box, I acknowledge that I am able to commit to number of hours per week as required for the apprenticeship / internship.

Tech Pre-Apprenticeship

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