The Upstate Youth Pre-Apprenticeship Program is a collaboration between Save Our Sons of the Carolinas, Riverside Community Development Corporation and other local organizations providing a structured combination of school-based and work-based learning. Through a coordinated effort involving business and industry, this program addresses the dual role of preparing students for the world of work and providing the Upstate with youth that is highly skilled and technologically competitive for the workforce. A student participating in the program receives a certificate that is both academically challenging and relevant to employment skills such as painting, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, forklift, and entrepreneurship in today’s economy.