Everblue is launching a new pre-apprenticeship initiative in the first week of February that will train 150–200 students and strengthen North Carolina’s workforce pipeline in support of the state’s Weatherization Assistance Program (NC WAP).

This pre-apprenticeship program is focused on building the workforce by partnering with several nonprofit organizations: She Built This City, Hope Renovations and STEMEast Network. Through this collaboration, participants from each organization will receive targeted training that prepares them to become qualified subcontractors within the NC WAP network.

The North Carolina Weatherization Assistance Program (NC WAP) helps households reduce energy costs, improve home safety, and increase comfort. Administered by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, the program prioritizes elderly residents, people with disabilities, families with children and households with high energy burdens. In addition to improving homes, NC WAP supports local job creation by relying on trained contractors and skilled tradespeople across the state.

As part of the pre-apprenticeship program, nonprofit participants will receive foundational and advanced training, including courses such as:

• Weatherization 101
• Weatherization Installer Badges
• HEP Energy AuditorHEP
• Quality Control Inspector
• Combustion Appliance Zone Training
• Pressure Diagnostics
• EPA RRP Lead Safe Certified Renovator Training

By equipping nonprofit teams with the skills and credentials needed to perform weatherization and home performance work, the program helps expand the pool of trained professionals available to support NC WAP’s mission of revitalizing homes across the state. This approach creates a multiplier effect—strengthening nonprofit organizations, providing career pathways for their employees, supporting state and program goals and delivering lasting benefits to local communities.

“This pre-apprenticeship program is about more than training, it’s about creating sustainable career pathways while strengthening the workforce needed to serve North Carolina communities,” said Chris Sullivan, project manager at Everblue. “By partnering with mission-driven nonprofits, we’re helping build capacity across the state to ensure homes are safer, healthier and more energy-efficient.”

The pre-apprenticeship model not only addresses immediate workforce needs but also builds long-term capacity to support safe, healthy and energy-efficient housing for North Carolina residents.

For more information, please contact Chris Sullivan at 336-706-1843 or [email protected].