Empower Your Skills

Our Story / Our Journey

“From community roots to career pathways — this is who we are, and why we show up.”

Beginnings: A Purpose Born of Need

In Memphis, opportunity doesn’t knock for everyone. Too many capable people—especially those coming home, reentering communities, or facing systemic barriers—are dismissed and left behind.
GI Apprentice Inc., was founded to change that narrative. We are a U.S. DOL Registered Apprenticeship provider committed to transforming lives through real, paid skill-building pathways. 

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We realized early on that traditional job training models often fail because they leave individuals unprepared for the real demands of work. GI Apprentice was built to bridge that gap — combining hands-on “earn while you learn” programs with employer-aligned standards, wraparound supports, and community accountability.

What Drives Us: Mission, Vision & Values

• Mission: Empower Memphians to build pride and purpose through quality apprenticeships that link wages, learning, and long-term career growth.

• Vision: A community in which no motivated person is held back because of background; career pathways are accessible, dignified, and sustainable.

• Core Values:
    • Equity & second chances
    • Excellence in training & safety
    • Deep employer partnerships
    • Data-driven transparency

Milestones That Define Us

• Launched pilot pre-apprenticeship cohorts with local employers

• Earned Registered Apprenticeship standing with the U.S. Department of Labor

• Built business-tech and construction pathways (Business Analyst, BI Engineer, Carpentry, Electrical, HVAC)

• Supported reentry clients with mentoring and job placement beyond training

• Delivered measurable outcomes: strong retention, employer satisfaction, participant success stories. 

How We’re Different

• Employer-led standards: We don’t invent training in isolation — we design programs in collaboration with local companies, so every graduate steps into real-world roles.

• Reentry-focused: We partner with justice-involved clients and community groups to ensure support, accountability, and fairness.

• Compliance backbone: Work process outlines, RTI plans, DOL registration, EEO frameworks — we handle the bureaucratic weight so employers can focus on talent.

• Ecosystem builders: We connect CBOs, training partners, funders, and employers into a pipeline — not silos.

Faces of GI Apprentice

“GI Apprentice helped me see myself again.”
“They didn’t just train me—they believed in me.”

These are the voices of participants, graduates, and employers who’ve seen what it looks like when promise meets opportunity. (We’ll

What’s Next

• Expanding into more high-demand sectors

• Scaling cohorts and doubling capacity

• Deepening employer sponsorship and pathways

• Publishing impact data publicly

• Growing our footprint across Tennessee