Not ready to apply for an apprenticeship yet? A pre-apprenticeship teaches you the basics, safety and how job sites work, so you show up to a shop or a union test ready. Here’s what’s available on Long Island.
PCALI Plumbing Institute (free)
The Plumbing Contractors Association of Long Island runs the PCALI Plumbing Institute, a free plumbing training program that started in September 2025. Classes are capped at 25 people, first come, first served. Sign up at pcali.org.
High school programs
Roosevelt High School launched a pre-apprenticeship with Laborers Local 66 in 2024, the first Long Island district to offer the LEARN program. Ask your school’s career office whether it has a trade pathway or partners with BOCES.
BOCES adult trade programs
Nassau BOCES Adult Education runs construction trade courses, including welding (see how to become a welder). These cost money, but they’re shorter and cheaper than a full trade school program.
Opportunities Long Island
Opportunities Long Island has run a 10-week apprenticeship preparation program with the Nassau/Suffolk Building Trades, including OSHA 10 and blueprint reading. The details we found are from 2015, so contact the Nassau/Suffolk Building and Construction Trades Council to ask whether a class is running now.
Getting training paid for
Long Island’s career centers help job seekers find and sometimes pay for training: HempsteadWorks (Hempstead), Suffolk County’s One-Stop Employment Center (Hauppauge), and The Workforce Partnership (Massapequa, for Oyster Bay, North Hempstead and Glen Cove). Ask what training funds you qualify for.
After the program
- Apply to union programs when their windows open (see union vs. non-union).
- Visit shops at open houses. A pre-apprenticeship certificate is a great thing to bring.
- Start logging your hours from your first day on the job.