Pre-apprenticeship programs are a very effective tool to help youth and adults enter a Registered Apprenticeship program. Participants can also use the experience to pursue further training or enter the workforce. The pre-apprenticeship is designed to help youth or adults take a snapshot of their current skills and use that data to address gaps in their aptitudes. One of the challenges with starting a pre-apprenticeship program is that many business and educational leaders need help knowing where to begin. Business leaders assume the school system or community college will manage the program. Educators assume workforce development organizations like a local Chamber of Commerce or Workforce Development Board will take the reins. The solution is that all of them must be involved. The bridge between the two sectors is a person or group acting as the champion for creating the organization. The research questions that guided this study focus on partnerships. What key partnership roles are needed to start and sustain a high-quality youth pre-apprenticeship program? What skills and traits are needed to sustain the program? How should the effectiveness of the program be evaluated? Uncovering answers to these questions is essential so communities nationwide will have a list of best practices to use as they begin a program. To understand how a pre-apprenticeship program begins, operates, and is evaluated, the researcher used a qualitative multi-case study methodology to identify best practices. The cases are three community-based organizations in North Carolina. Data were collected through group interviews, one for each case. Data were analyzed and synthesized using inductive and deductive coding processes. The data was triangulated through three main themes: Partnerships, Startup and Sustainability, and Evaluation. The significant finding from the research is that a successful pre-apprenticeship program begins and is managed very much like a business. All three cases operated as a 501c3 non-profit organization or an LLC (Limited Liability Company). To operate as an effective program, there must be processes for managing finances, onboarding, marketing, promotion, and general operations. Career counseling is also a significant need in a successful pre-apprenticeship program. All three cases mentioned how important constant contact is with the student. Students need quality career counseling to make meaningful decisions about their career direction. While some community-based organizations do not evaluate their program, reviewing their progress is also essential to growth. The program's goals can only be achieved with a thorough evaluation process. In the United States, there are very few studies on pre-apprenticeships specifically. Therefore, this research immediately impacts community-based organizations starting and sustaining a pre-apprenticeship program. This research adds to the existing body of knowledge by creating a series of best practices that helped three specific organizations develop and sustain their program. Future research should focus on how career counseling affects the pre-apprentice; how special population students can benefit from a pre-apprenticeship program; and how effective a pre-apprenticeship can be in moving youth or adults into a Registered Apprenticeship program. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]