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BridgeYear logo featuring a stylized letter "B" in vibrant colors representing the organization's mission to connect youth with career exploration and educational pathways.

Career Cohorts

Workforce Trainings and Apprenticeship Programs for Students in Greater Houston

BridgeYear’s Career Cohort Program offers recent high school graduates a valuable opportunity to train with partner providers at little to no cost. With support from BridgeYear staff, you’ll receive guidance through the application process and the steps needed to successfully complete your chosen certification cohort or work-based learning cohort.

Group of students celebrating completion of BridgeYear's Career Cohorts program, holding certificates, in a classroom setting with a presentation screen.

Certification Cohorts

  • Short-Term & Low-Cost: Start earning sooner! With certifications from our workforce training partners, you’ll gain the skills and credentials needed to enter your field in less than a year, often at little to no cost.
  • Receive Guided Support: BridgeYear is here to support you every step of the way. Your dedicated advisor will provide mentorship, resources, and guidance, ensuring you have everything you need to thrive during your training.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Gain skills in assisting licensed nurses in providing care to patients and help with daily tasks.

Program Length: 5 weeks

Electrician

Learn to install, inspect, and repair electrical wiring, controls, and lighting systems based on blueprints and diagrams.

Program Length: 8 weeks

HVAC Technician

Learn to install and service heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems.

Program Length: 10 weeks

Information Technology (IT) Support

Earn the Google IT Support and the CompTIA A+ Certificates. No previous tech experience or courses required!

Program Length: 12 weeks

Pharmacy Technician

Prepare and dispense medications accurately, following safety and legal standards. Gain skills in sterile compounding and prescription assembly.

Program Length: 12 weeks

Welder

Learn to join, repair, or cut metal parts according to blueprints and calculations using specialized equipment.

Program Length: 7 weeks

A.A.S. in Biomanufacturing Technician

Learn hands‑on techniques, including upstream and downstream processing, quality control, and clean room practices to prepare for careers in biotechnology.

Program Length: 2 years

Work-Based Learning Cohorts

  • Earn-and-Learn: Gain hands-on expertise in your field through a blend of on-the-job training and classroom instruction. You’ll earn industry-recognized certifications while maintaining steady employment so you can grow your career without pause.
  • Holistic Support: Receive personalized guidance from BridgeYear Advisors, along with dedicated cohort classes and on-site workplace mentors to keep you on track. Upon completing the work-based learning program, you’ll transition into a full-time role with your employer.

Automotive Technician

Diagnose, troubleshoot, and work with electrical, suspension, and steering systems in a real auto shop and dealership.

Program Length: 2 years

Sterile Processing Technician

Develop the proper skills needed in using specialized equipment to clean surgical instruments.

Program Length: 1 year

Our Career Cohort Applications are Closed!

Thank you for your interest in BridgeYear’s Career Cohort Program!

Our application period for the current cohort is now closed. However, your career journey doesn’t have to wait. we highly encourage you to explore other excellent short-term training opportunities on MorePathways®.

Looking ahead: Recruitment for our next set of cohorts will open in Spring 2027. Stay tuned!

Discover Short-Term Training Programs

Ready to Launch Your Career?

Missed out on Summer 2026 Career Cohorts? Don’t worry—your path forward starts here. Sign up to be the first to hear about future training opportunities that lead to in-demand, tuition-free careers. Your journey to a meaningful job and brighter future is just getting started!

How It Works

Instructor demonstrating wiring techniques to students in a hands-on electrical training workshop, showcasing practical skills for future careers in skilled trades.

Gain Access to Free Training

Join our Career Cohort Program for free, high-quality workforce training or apprenticeships in the Houston area—eliminating financial barriers and equipping you with valuable skills for your future career.

Start Earning Sooner

Choose the path that fits your goals! No matter which route you take, you’ll gain the skills and support needed to launch a successful career:

  • Certification Cohorts: Gain industry-specific skills and certifications through short-term workforce training programs, helping you enter the job market faster, without the time commitment of a four-year college.
  • Work-Based Learning Cohorts: Get hands-on experience while earning a paycheck through structured earn-and-learn programs that prepare you for long-term career success.
Welder in protective gear working on metal fabrication, sparks flying, highlighting hands-on skills essential for apprenticeship training in high-demand job sectors.
Young woman in gray work attire smiling at laptop in a training session, with instructor presenting in the background, representing BridgeYear's workforce training program.

Receive Guided Support

Benefit from personalized guidance and support from our experienced BridgeYear staff who are dedicated to your success. They will provide mentorship, resources, and assistance throughout your cohort journey, ensuring you have the support you need to thrive during your training.

Past Partners and Their Training Programs

CNA Program and EKG/Telemetry Program

Learn More →

CNA and Phlebotomy Program

Learn More →

EKG/Telemetry Program

Learn More →

Electrician Program and HVAC Program

Learn More →

Past Partners and Their Training Programs

CNA Program and EKG/Telemetry Program

Learn More →

CNA and Phlebotomy Program

Learn More →

EKG/Telemetry Program

Learn More →

Electrician Program and HVAC Program

Learn More →

Build your future workforce

Contact Us →

For Schools

Students engaging with BridgeYear representatives at a career exploration event, featuring displays for Biological Technician and Automotive Technician pathways, emphasizing hands-on career simulations and opportunities outside of four-year degrees.

While education is the key to better jobs and stability, a four-year college degree is not the only road to success.

Support students not pursuing a four-year college degree to successfully access viable career and education pathways that lead to economic security, personal autonomy, and growth opportunities.

Discover Opportunities for Students →
Students had a great time... You've helped them realize they don't have to go to a university in order to develop a career (and) how high school is just a step to getting to do what they want to do... (They) are more motivated to succeed here. Your staff is amazing with students... keeping them engaged, answering questions, and helping their self-esteem rise.”
Sheryl Valdez
Columbia High School Staff

For Employers

Partnerships with leading companies are vital to the fulfillment of our mission.

By connecting students to high-growth,
in-demand careers, corporate partners are helping create lasting impact in the lives of young individuals and our communities while addressing their own talent pipeline needs.

Benefits to Companies →
Students engaged in career exploration discussions during BridgeYear's Career Test Drive® Program, emphasizing hands-on learning and mentorship in a collaborative setting.

12,000+ Students Reached Annually

For Students

Young woman holding a certificate of completion from The Academy of Exceptional Healthcare Training, smiling with a colorful abstract background, representing career pathways and training opportunities for students.

High school seniors and recent graduates can enroll with BridgeYear’s partner training programs in the Houston area.

Join a Certification Cohort Program or find a local training program near you on MorePathways to prepare for a career that requires less than a four-year degree.

Find Your Next Step After High School →

400+ Low-Cost Trainings on MorePathways

Join a Career Cohort Today!

Our Career Cohorts are open for applications through late April 2026. If you’re interested in any program, please submit an interest form.

Submit Your Interest

Career Cohorts Are Closed—But Your Options Aren’t

Career Cohorts may be full for now, but there are still plenty of tuition-free training programs available. Explore MorePathways® to find your next step toward a stable, high-growth career.

Browse Training Opportunities

learn MORE ABOUT the careers we offer

Students engaged in career planning, holding informational pamphlets about apprenticeship pathways and skilled trades.

BridgeYear exposes youth to affordable and accessible careers that provide youth economic stability and independence. 

All careers we highlight:

  • Require less than a 4-year degree
  • Are in-demand by employers 
  • Provide a living wage
  • Offer career ladders/opportunities for advancement

Why non 4-year degree pathways?:

Traditional education has long placed great emphasis on four-year degrees, forcing many students – like those who cannot afford college, those with GPAs at or below 2.5 and those who simply aren’t interested in a four-year degree – to disengage from planning their future after high school. This has caused many to feel their only options are unskilled jobs, like in retail or food service, which often offer unstable wages, zero benefits and slim opportunities for advancement.

How do you know employers are in need of BridgeYear’s careers?

Instead of relying solely on workforce data, we partner directly with employers and corporate sponsors to learn what labor gaps they are facing now and in the future so we can help them recruit for their most immediate needs. Currently, we have partnerships with Gulf States Toyota, to promote the career of automotive technician, and the National Kitchen and Bath Association, to promote trade careers in the kitchen and bath industry including Electrician, Finish Carpenter, and Kitchen and Bath Designer.  

How our program impacts advanced youth

Young man assembling a pendant light fixture, demonstrating hands-on skills in the electrical trade, relevant to BridgeYear's apprenticeship programs.

Graduating high schoolers from low-income communities are part of the most vulnerable populations affected by the current crisis. COVID-19 has made their transition to college and the workforce less secure than ever, compromising crucial employment years that impact opportunities to escape poverty. 

According to a national survey conducted by Equitable Futures early in the pandemic, the coronavirus crisis has caused young people to feel great uncertainty about their future. Among a sample of “Black and Hispanic youth and white young people from households with lower incomes,” the percent of those who reported feeling very clear about their future job or career dropped from 43% in 2019 to 27% in 2020. The report also showed that a majority of youth value college differently with nearly 1 in 3 claiming they now think college is not worth pursuing compared to pre-pandemic. Today, this situation is expected to be worse due to plunging community college enrollment (NSCRC) and a 102% increase in student debt over the last decade (US Federal Reserve). These shifts all point to an important reality: youth need help forging non 4-year pathways that won’t trap them in a cycle of poverty.

Advanced youth, especially high school seniors and opportunity youth, have been BridgeYear’s primary programming focus since 2016. Our Career Test Drive® program helps youth plan their path out of high school by exposing them to affordable, in-demand pathways they can pursue immediately.

How our program impacts intermediate youth

Students participating in a hands-on medical training session, practicing skills related to healthcare careers, with a focus on youth engagement in career pathways.

To better prepare all students for opportunities after high school, BridgeYear offers our Career Test Drive® program to 7th-9th graders to increase awareness and strengthen career choice.

For 7th through 9th graders, our program was designed to help students make informed decisions that will prepare them for viable career paths after high school. As a result of House Bill 5, 8th grade students in Texas are asked to select an endorsement area for their high school studies. Selecting an endorsement – and specifically, selecting a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway within an endorsement – offers students the opportunity to earn a free, industry-recognized credential. Yet when so few students receive these industry recognized certificates in the greater Houston area, too many students are missing this opportunity to become competitive in today’s workforce. 

By exposing youth to in-demand careers they can get obtain accreditation for during high school, our Career Test Drive® program helps students decide what CTE pathway aligns with their skills and interests and inspires them to optimize their time in high school to succeed in the workforce. 

READ MORE ABOUT facilitation options

Students engaging in hands-on learning during BridgeYear's Career Test Drive program, with an instructor facilitating a Career and Technical Education activity in a classroom setting.

Our Career Lab program offers two facilitation options: our full-service BridgeYear Facilitation option and a Self/Teacher Facilitation option. 

BridgeYear Facilitation

  • BridgeYear manages full setup, refilling and maintenance of all materials.
  • Trained BridgeYear staff facilitate the entire experience in-person and offer students moments of critical thinking and discussion around the activity and career.
 

Available to schools and organizations located within the Greater Houston area. For those outside Houston, BridgeYear Facilitation is available for an additional cost to cover travel. 

Self/Teacher Facilitation

  • BridgeYear ships all materials to you, including extra supplies and refills. 
  • BridgeYear provides videos and an instructors manual that explain each step of the activity for use during classroom facilitation.  
 

Available to schools and organizations located outside the Greater Houston area. For those inside Houston, BridgeYear Facilitation is already factored into your quote.  

READ MORE ABOUT in-class facilitation

Via our full-service model (BridgeYear Facilitation) or through pre-recorded videos (Self/Teacher Facilitation), our Career Lab program will lead your students through in-depth career exploration all from the comfort of your classroom: 

    • Students explore one career per class period.
    • Each Career Lab activity is designed to be completed on student’s desk.
    • Career Labs can be purchased to be reused with multiple class periods. We sell extra materials and refills to ensure you have enough for each student.

This experiential learning program provides schools and teachers an accessible experience they can implement with each class period throughout an entire school day.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR HANDS-ON ACTIVITES

BridgeYear firmly believes that hands-on learning is essential to career exploration and building career identity.

All Career Test Drive® (CTD) Program simulations are designed like science labs in order to:
  • Maximize engagement: Students are more likely to enjoy career exploration if activities are engaging and fun.
  • Mimic real-life careers: By simulating real career tasks, youth are able to determine whether a career fits their interests and skills.

Students need more than just talking, they need doing.

After watching students withdraw from the monotony of career brochures, speakers and staged videos, co-founders Victoria Chen and Victoria Doan reimagined career exploration to provide an immersive, hands-on opportunity for young people to explore their options after high school.

As one student put it: “The [CTD Program] gave me more ideas on what I can become in the future and brought more light to skills I did not know I had.”