Case Study

JFF Helps JEVS Build and Scale Apprenticeship Pathways

April 15, 2026

At a Glance

This case study shows JEVS Human Services builds and scales pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs for youth and young adults and offers other providers tips for successful implementation of apprenticeships.

Contributors

Phoenix Asifa Senior Manager

Michael Sack Senior Director

Vanessa Bennett Director

Practices & Centers

Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning

A group of students pose on a staircase, each holding a certificate. An adult kneels in front, making a peace sign. The setting appears to be indoors with large windows. JEVS Human Services is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit workforce intermediary that provides workforce development, career and technical education, and community living supports. Each year, JEVS helps approximately 25,000 people build sustainable pathways to independence and economic security. That includes 2,500 young people ages 16 to 24 who aren’t in school and aren’t working—a population often referred to as “opportunity youth.”

Over the past decade, Jobs for the Future (JFF) has served as a national apprenticeship intermediary and long-term strategic partner to JEVS, helping the organization build and scale high-quality pre‑apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs in IT, health care, and advanced manufacturing. This includes early work JFF undertook with support from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Expansion and Modernization Fund and deep technical assistance and work‑based learning design support we provided as part of our Rapid IT Training and Employment Initiative (RITEI).

In 2022, with the support of the Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America grant program, JFF and partners launched the Next-Generation Apprenticeship for Next-Generation Talent initiative. To date, our work with JEVS under that initiative has yielded the following results:

pre-apprenticeship programs were created or expanded

300+

youth and young adults enrolled in pre-apprenticeships

95%

participants completed their pre-apprenticeship programs

participants went on to enroll in Registered Apprenticeships

How JEVS builds pre-apprenticeship to Registered Apprenticeship pathways

JEVS uses pre-apprenticeship programming offered through its EduConnect program to increase access to Registered Apprenticeships for youth and young adults. In EduConnect, participants earn industry-standard short-term credentials in cohort-based classes tailored to local employers’ needs.

Historically, JEVS had partnered with postsecondary institutions that grant two- and four-year degrees with limited focus on career pathway opportunities. However, beginning in the 2021-22 academic year, JEVS shifted its focus to developing state-approved pre-apprenticeship programs as employer demand for shorter-term training increased and new opportunities arose in the national and state apprenticeship landscapes.

Eight women, seven in blue scrubs and one in a white lab coat, stand together and smile in front of a whiteboard in a clinical setting. JEVS generally builds pre-apprenticeships in partnership with external training providers but also crafts its own offerings, including several health care training programs, using EduConnect as the training vendor. JEVS pre-apprenticeships are all approved by the state of Pennsylvania; the organization recognizes the importance of certifying that its offerings meet the state’s criteria for quality programming to ensure that employers will have confidence in its training initiatives and to maintain its access to state resources and supports.

Over the past six years, JEVS has focused on offering health care and IT training, especially for the many youth and young adults it serves. In most cases, JEVS offers its pre-apprenticeship programming at Orleans Technical College, the organization’s state-of-the-art training center in Northeast Philadelphia.

JFF’s impact

Jobs for the Future has supported JEVS’s efforts to expand and improve its apprenticeship capacity and expertise by making financial investments, providing coaching services, and facilitating the organization’s efforts to forge partnerships. As a grantee of JFF’s Apprenticeship Building America grant, JEVS has built an impressive portfolio of pre-apprenticeship programs for young people enrolled in Philadelphia’s comprehensive high schools and charter schools. These programs follow its adult program model of cohort-based trainings with coursework tailored to the skills and knowledge required to pass exams required for industry-recognized credentials (including the National Healthcare Association’s credentialing exams).

In the few short years since engaging with JFF in the ABA project in 2022, JEVS has created or expanded 10 pre-apprenticeship programs. More than 300 youth and young adults have enrolled in these programs, and the completion rate is 95%. To date, 13 people have enrolled directly in a Registered Apprenticeship after completing a JEVS pre-apprenticeship and nearly half of them have completed the Registered Apprenticeship.

Pre-apprenticeship strategy and implementation

Four scientists in lab coats work in a laboratory; one woman looks through a microscope, while others use digital tablets and examine lab equipment. JEVS uses its pre-apprenticeship programs strategically. In some cases, as with its pharmacy technician program, a pre-apprenticeship is designed to increase the number of people interested in, and qualified for, an existing Registered Apprenticeship. In other cases, the goal is to foster interest among specific JEVS employer partners in designing and creating a new apprenticeship in a particular field, as when employers in the Einstein Healthcare Network provided feedback and gave final approval for the curriculum of a JVS health care apprenticeship. In other instances, JEVS will develop a pre-apprenticeship program in response to employer demand, which was the impetus for the organization’s decision to introduce a certified medical assistant pre-apprenticeship.

JEVS takes an intentional approach to the design and implementation of pre-apprenticeship programs to ensure that young people are not only able to participate in the programs but also have an opportunity to thrive and succeed in their training. Here are some specific keys to the organization’s success:

JEVS tailors its pre-apprenticeship curricula to reflect the unique practices and characteristics of the school or program that it partners with to offer the training and, more importantly, to meet the unique needs of both the learners who participate in the training and the employers who provide Registered Apprenticeship opportunities and/or employment opportunities for program graduates.
JEVS leverages its own programming, services, and existing partnerships to support pre-apprenticeship participants. For example, the organization taps resources and services available through its other programs, including JEVS Work Ready, Philadelphia CareerLink, and the Good Jobs Challenge, to offer learners stipends, access to supportive services, and funding for basic needs like transportation, child care, and clothing. JEVS also leans on its network of partners to ensure that learners have access to career navigation services such as resume reviews and interview prep exercises.

A dedicated team of workforce staffers from the JEVS EduConnect program provide learners with counseling support, one-on-one career guidance, and connections to an array of social services. Staff also put a premium on maintaining contact with pre-apprenticeship participants after they finish their training. This is done through monthly surveys and by linking participants with JEVS career navigators who support career exploration and post-training job placement efforts.

Lessons learned

Strong alignment between the pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship curricula. A tight connection between the two programs enables the young people who participate in pre-apprenticeships to see a clear pathway from training to real career opportunities.

Consistent communication with all partners. Apprenticeship providers should regularly consult and exchange information with schools, training providers, employers, and other partners to ensure that everyone’s expectations are aligned and training is relevant to industry needs.

Sustained support for participants. The program must have staff members with specific expertise and responsibilities, such as a career navigation coach, help participants stay engaged and successfully transition from pre-apprenticeship to Registered Apprenticeship.

Flexibility and adaptability. Program providers must be willing to adjust their offerings based on employer feedback, changes in participants’ needs, and labor market shifts to ensure that the training remains relevant and effective over time.

Early engagement with employers. Apprenticeship providers must connect with employers early in the design and development process to ensure that their pre-apprenticeship training aligns closely with current industry needs and expectations.

Deep engagement with schools and community partners. Communicating and working closely with partners ensures that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of the pathway from the outset and improves the likelihood that young people will have seamless transitions from school to apprenticeship to work.

A strong ongoing support structure. Offering participants an array of supports and services to help them meet basic needs and manage outside responsibilities so they can focus on their training helps them stay engaged, succeed in their training, and transition to Registered Apprenticeship opportunities. These offerings help maximize both participant outcomes and employer satisfaction.

This publication is supported by the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA). It is wholly funded with federal resources provided by the Apprenticeship Building America grant program.