The Apprenticeship Ready Program is a free workforce training initiative from UCAN Metro Denver and the National Western Center. It creates direct pathways into careers in construction, the skilled trades, and environmental services for students and adults in the Denver area.
There is no cost to participate, and participants are not required to have any prior experience in their chosen field.
Participants complete the program with credentials that Denver-area employers in construction, the trades, and environmental services actively look for when hiring.
Résumé help, interview preparation, and career planning support are built into the program so participants are ready when opportunities come up.
UCAN and the National Western Center connect program graduates directly to local companies that are hiring, which shortens the gap between training and employment.
Denver's construction industry has more open positions than it has qualified candidates. This pathway gives participants the foundational skills and certifications that put them in front of employers who are actively looking to hire.
The green economy is growing, and this pathway prepares participants to be part of it. Jobs in environmental services offer stable work and the opportunity to do something that matters in the community.
Careers in the trades come with competitive pay, opportunities to join unions, and long-term stability. This pathway is built for people who want to work with their hands and build real expertise over time.
The Apprenticeship Ready Program is open to a wide range of participants. It is designed for:
No prior experience is required for any of these pathways.
Economic opportunity has not always made its way into this community. Workforce development is one of the ways UCAN tries to change that—because stable careers stabilize families, and stable families stabilize neighborhoods. This program is also connected to broader green workforce initiatives that UCAN supports through its Environmental Innovation Center.
