TEN 05-26 gives WDBs a practical way to tell the difference between a program that exposes people to a trade and a pre-apprenticeship that actually functions as an on-ramp to Registered Apprenticeship. DOL’s five components are most useful as a program-design, investment, procurement, and referral screen.
Source checked September 18, 2026 · ACTIVE FEDERAL GUIDANCE · Official source ↗ · AI-assisted
WDB decision strip
| Status | Action | Primary owner | Current timing | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVE FEDERAL GUIDANCE | USE AS QUALITY SCREEN | Program + Apprenticeship Leadership | No new filing deadline | Pre-apprenticeship · Procurement · Partnerships · Outcomes |
The bottom line
A credible pre-apprenticeship should be able to show where participants go next.
TEN 05-26 rescinds and replaces TEN 23-23 and organizes effective pre-apprenticeship around five components: an intentional pathway to Registered Apprenticeship, industry-driven training, hands-on learning and career exposure, strong workforce/education partnerships, and outcomes used for continuous improvement. The guidance does not create a new federal certification or local filing requirement.
The five-component test
| Component | Evidence a WDB should expect | Weak signal |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pathway to Registered Apprenticeship | Named sponsor(s), occupations, entry process, and a defined transition from pre-apprenticeship into related Registered Apprenticeship. | The program says participants will be “apprenticeship ready” but cannot identify a sponsor or entry pathway. |
| 2. Industry-driven training | Curriculum and competencies aligned to the occupation, sponsor expectations, and employer demand. | Generic occupational training with limited employer or sponsor validation. |
| 3. Hands-on learning + career exposure | Meaningful skill practice, work exposure, safety preparation, and occupational readiness. | Career awareness alone. |
| 4. Workforce + education partnerships | Sponsors, employers, workforce agencies, educators, community partners, and supports connected around the pathway. | Partners listed in a proposal but not responsible for participant transition. |
| 5. Outcomes + continuous improvement | Completion, apprenticeship entry, related employment, retention, advancement, and participant/sponsor feedback. | Course completion is the only tracked outcome. |
Required, local choice, good practice
Federal guidance
TEN 05-26 describes the core components DOL considers effective pre-apprenticeship and reaffirms the program’s connection to Registered Apprenticeship.
Local choice
WDBs decide how to use the framework in procurement, funding, partnership review, referral standards, and local program design, subject to the rules of the funding source being used.
Good practice
Require programs to name the Registered Apprenticeship destination and track transition into that destination, not just course completion.
The WDB investment screen
| Question | Ask for this evidence |
|---|---|
| Where does the pathway lead? | Registered Apprenticeship sponsor(s), occupation, entry requirements, transition process, and any articulation or preference for completers. |
| Who validated the training? | Sponsor/employer participation in competencies, curriculum, equipment, safety, or standards. |
| What does the participant actually do? | Hands-on skill practice, work-based exposure, safety preparation, and occupation-specific learning. |
| What barriers are addressed? | Academic preparation, transportation, tools, childcare, mentoring, case management, and other allowable supports. |
| What happens after completion? | Apprenticeship entry, related employment, retention, wage progression, advancement, and feedback. |
Operational considerations for WDBs
- Inventory programs using the pre-apprenticeship label. Identify which ones can actually name their Registered Apprenticeship destination.
- Add the five components to program review. Use them in procurement, partnership conversations, youth program design, and referral decisions where appropriate.
- Bring sponsors into the pathway itself. Sponsor involvement should shape competencies and transition, not stop at an advisory meeting.
- Track apprenticeship entry. Add transition into Registered Apprenticeship to the local outcome conversation.
- Strengthen existing programs before building new ones. A college, youth, community, or WIOA program may become a better on-ramp by formalizing sponsor connections.
- Check the funding source. TEN 05-26 explains the framework, but the rules of WIOA, education, apprenticeship, or grant funding still determine what can be paid.
By role
Program leadership
Use the framework to distinguish pathways from stand-alone occupational training.
Procurement / contracts
Translate the five components into evidence requirements and outcomes where locally appropriate.
Apprenticeship partners
Make sponsor roles, entry conditions, and transition expectations explicit.
Watch out
- Trade training is not automatically pre-apprenticeship.
- Employer exposure is not the same as an intentional Registered Apprenticeship pathway.
- Course completion alone does not show the pathway worked.
- TEN 05-26 is guidance, not a new federal certification or filing process.
Source + Trust Record
| Primary authority | USDOL TEN 05-26 — Framework for Effective Pre-Apprenticeships |
|---|---|
| Issued / effective | September 8, 2026 |
| Current status | ACTIVE FEDERAL GUIDANCE |
| Source checked | September 18, 2026 |
| What we verified | TEN 05-26 is active, was issued September 8, 2026, and rescinds/replaces TEN 23-23. Its five-component framework and essential connection to Registered Apprenticeship are current federal guidance. Local procurement, funding, and program-design uses remain subject to the rules of the funding source. |
| Important limitation | TEN 05-26 is active and rescinds and replaces TEN 23-23. The investment screen, role guidance, and implementation recommendations above are WPU tools, not additional federal requirements. Source checked September 16, 2026. |
Official sources control. Workforce Wonkery is AI-assisted and does not receive human legal or compliance review.