The six-week Raising the Bar pre-apprenticeship program has recently experienced a large surge in interest, as more people than ever look to enter the skilled trades.
For Raising the Bar’s current Baltimore cohort, which began last week, an eye-popping 1,300+ people registered for in-person and virtual information sessions about the program.
This spike in registrations mirrors a broader, historic jump in interest in the building trades in general, and in Mid-Atlantic apprenticeship programs in particular.
Raising the Bar’s Fall DC cohort starts October 5, 2026.
“We have experienced unprecedented interest in the Raising the Bar program, particularly in the Baltimore region,” said Beli Acharya, Executive Director with Construction Trades Workforce Initiative (CTWI).
Acharya said this reflects “growing demand for pathways into union construction careers.”
“People are beginning to see,” she added, “that they don’t have to choose between a good career and avoiding debt. Union apprenticeships allow individuals to earn while they learn and build a stable future.”
“People are beginning to see that they don’t have to choose between a good career and avoiding debt. Union apprenticeships allow individuals to earn while they learn and build a stable future.”
– Beli Acharya, Executive Director
Construction Trades Workforce Initiative
“People are beginning to see that they don’t have to choose between a good career and avoiding debt. Union apprenticeships allow individuals to earn while they learn and build a stable future.”
– Beli Acharya, Executive Director
Construction Trades Workforce Initiative
CTWI Executive Director Beli Acharya speaks to a standing-room-only crowd at a Raising the Bar info session at Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Local 891 in February 2026. Photo: Michael Blain.
Across Maryland, the total number of registered apprentices has reached an all-time high of 14,000. Several Mid-Atlantic building trades unions have recently reported record-breaking numbers of applications to their apprentice programs.
For instance, UA Local 486 has seen interest effectively triple in just two years, jumping from 450 applicants to over 1,300 for its most recent cycle. Similarly, IBEW Local 24 is on pace for 2,800 apprenticeship applicants in 2026. Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 5 Training Director Mason Holden says his local’s apprenticeship program is on track to “blow past” last year’s 1,200 applications, with over 600 already submitted by early May of 2026.
What is Raising the Bar?
Raising the Bar is a free, six-week pre-apprenticeship program offered by the Baltimore-D.C. Metro Building Trades Council in partnership with CTWI. Operating in Baltimore, Prince George’s County, and the District of Columbia, the program provides participants with a “ladder of opportunity” into the middle class. Students learn hands-on construction skills, earn industry-recognized certifications like OSHA 10, and receive intensive preparation for union apprenticeship entrance exams.
“More than 1,300 individuals registered for our four information sessions,” Acharya said. “The level of interest exceeded our expectations, with nearly 150 people attending one in-person session and a virtual session reaching its 100-person capacity almost immediately.”
“More than 1,300 individuals registered for our four information sessions. The level of interest exceeded our expectations.”
– Beli Acharya, Executive Director
Construction Trades Workforce Initiative
“More than 1,300 individuals registered for our four information sessions. The level of interest exceeded our expectations.“
– Beli Acharya, Executive Director
Construction Trades Workforce Initiative
A full Raising the Bar class at LiUNA Local 710 in Baltimore in July 2026. Photo: CTWI.
The applicant pool for Raising the Bar is becoming increasingly diverse, ranging from 18-year-old high school graduates to mid-life career changers in their 30s and 40s. Many are young people right out of high school, but the program is also attracting parents looking to support their families, veterans and individuals transitioning from the service sector or federal government.
Acharya also noted a trend of “tech-savvy” applicants who view the trades as a “future-proof” career that cannot be easily replaced by artificial intelligence.
Raising the Bar is designed, says Acharya to ensure its graduates are successful when they move on to full union apprenticeships. The program includes 44 hours of construction math preparation to help students perform better on math aptitude tests required by most apprenticeship programs.
This thorough math preparation – combined with an overview of the trades, interview practice, site visits, hands-on-projects and industry-recognized certifications upon graduation – is yielding impressive results: Acharya says more than 70 percent of program graduates are landing construction career opportunities within two weeks of graduating.
Because Raising the Bar provides training that is directly relevant to the skill sets, work ethic and commitment sought by apprenticeship programs, Acharya notes there is now a deep-seated trust established between Raising the Bar and local apprenticeship directors.
“They know that Raising the Bar does such a good job training,” Acharya said. “We kind of drill students to know that they’re going to be traveling, they’re going to be working early mornings… It’s going to be hard work. Are they in it? Can they do it?”
By the time these students apply for a full apprenticeship, she adds, they have already earned industry-recognized certifications such OSHA 10, CPR, and the MC3 curriculum, giving them a significant advantage in a highly competitive applicant pool.
Raising the Bar’s Fall DC cohort starts October 5, 2026.
