Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Pre-Trade Pathway, Career Pathway certificate

Award information

Degrees and certificates by number of terms to complete

Award	Length (attending full-time)	Financial aid eligible	Currently accepting students?
Career Pathway Certificate: Pre-Trade Pathway	Less than 1 year		Limited entry, see how to apply to Apprenticeship and Trades

Learn more about Apprenticeship and Trades and all 11 awards available »

Program description

The Pre-Trade Career Pathway is a certificate program specially designed to prepare students who seek careers in the trades. Students will build the critical skills to meet the qualifications and become a desirable applicant to one of the 40+ apprenticeship programs registered in the State of Oregon.

Cohort format

All courses in this program require department approval to register and must be taken at the same time in one term. There are two cohorts that run fall, winter and spring terms with limited space. This is a one-term, full time program. Classes typically run Monday-Thursday between 8am-6pm (actual days and times vary). If you’re interested in this program, plan ahead at least one term in advance of when you want to start. When you’re ready to get started, see how to apply.

Attending an information session is mandatory for entry into the program.

Courses

Course listing for the 2025-2026 catalog year.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
APR 162	Calculations for the Trades	4
APR 200A	Pre-Apprenticeship	3
APR 200B	OSHA 30 for Pre-Apprenticeship	3
APR 200C	Pre-Apprenticeship Hands-On Instruction	2
ELT 110	Introduction to Residential Electrical Wiring	3
Total Credits		15

Information sessions

Sign up for a Pre-Trades info session to learn more!

Career exploration