Skip to main content
Charlotte trade training welder with sparks flying on a real job site
Charlotte NC | Tuition-Free Training

We train people for real jobs in trades and tech, and help them get hired.

USDOL-recognized PACT pre-apprenticeship plus a hands-on workforce pipeline for Charlotte-Mecklenburg youth and adults.

Hands-on training, nationally recognized credentials, direct employer connections.

USDOL
PACT Recognized
90%
Internship Placement
75/25
Work-Based / Classroom
Tuition-Free
For Accepted Trainees
The Problem

Charlotte's Workforce Training Gap

Traditional education paths leave out the hands-on mastery skilled trades and tech jobs require. Meanwhile, Charlotte-Mecklenburg employers can't fill the roles that pay the most.

01.

No Bridge to Work

Traditional schooling skips the hands-on mastery that real trade and tech jobs require. The credential gap is widest where it matters most.

02.

Cost Locks People Out

Vocational schools charge thousands. Justice involvement, no diploma, or unstable housing can shut motivated learners out before they apply.

03.

Generic Programs Stall

A "STEM nonprofit" without a hiring pipeline blends in. Workers need a credential a Charlotte employer recognizes and a path to the first job.

The Solution

A Direct Bridge to Employment

Education to training to certification to work experience to employment. PACT (Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training) is the spine: a USDOL-recognized credential built on national construction standards and proven to reduce recidivism while moving people into real jobs.

Nationally Certified

USDOL-recognized PACT credential, portable across employers and states.

75% Work-Based

Real construction and infrastructure hours, not just classroom theory.

Employer Network

CompTIA, Cisco, Home Builders Association, NCCU, and direct hiring partners.

A Charlotte contractor demonstrating electrical rough-in to a Give N Go trainee in a workshop
Why Give N Go

Built to Get People Hired

We aren't a STEM nonprofit and we aren't a trade school. We are a workforce pipeline. The credential, the work hours, and the employer connections all live under one roof.

USDOL-Recognized PACT

Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. The credential travels across employers and states, and it stacks into Registered Apprenticeships.

Trades + Tech, One Pipeline

Six construction tracks plus four technology tracks live under one workforce model. Pick the lane, change lanes, or stack credentials.

75% Hands-On

PACT runs 25% classroom, 75% work-based and community service. Trainees log real construction and infrastructure hours, not just theory.

Whole-Person Support

Life Skills Training, Guiding Good Choices parent training, and behavioral support keep cohorts on track. Outcomes hold because the supports do.

How It Works

Education → Training → Certification → Work → Employment

01.

Apply or Refer

Use the form, or come in through a school counselor, court worker, or community-agency partner.

02.

Intake & Track Match

We map your goals, schedule, and any conditions to the right Construction or Tech track.

03.

Train Hands-On

25% classroom + 75% work-based hours. Earn safety certifications and a portable USDOL credential.

04.

Land the Job

Step into a Registered Apprenticeship, internship, or entry-level role through our employer network.

Not sure which track fits?

Tell us a little about you and we'll match you to the right Give N Go pipeline.

Apply or Refer a Student
Impact

Charlotte Trade & Tech Training Outcomes

We measure success in jobs landed and careers held, not certificates printed.

80%

On Track Academically

PACT trainees maintaining 2.5+ GPA.

90%

Internship Placement

Active placement rate across cohorts.

70%

Employment or Continued Education

Outcomes after program completion.

80%

Trained on Current Tech

Hands-on with industry-current tools and stacks.

Partner Network

Trusted by Charlotte's Trade & Tech Ecosystem

U.S. Department of Labor

PACT credential recognition

CompTIA

A+ partner curriculum

Cisco

Networking Academy partner

Home Builders Association of Greater Charlotte

Construction pipeline

North Carolina Central University

Higher-ed partnership

Student & Partner Stories

What Charlotte Families & Employers Say

"PACT gave my son a real path. He went from drifting after school to logging hours on a Charlotte job site with a USDOL credential to show for it."

Renita H.

West Charlotte · PACT Pre-Apprenticeship

"I came out of court-ordered diversion with no diploma. Give N Go's HVAC track plus the EPA 608 prep got me my first paying tech role."

Devonte L.

Hidden Valley · HVAC Training

"We hired three Give N Go fiber optic graduates this year. The fusion-splicer hands-on time means they're billable on day one."

Marcus T.

Charlotte fiber contractor · Fiber Optic Training

"The Life Skills Training piece is what convinced our family. It's not just a job program, it's about the whole person."

Janelle B.

Beatties Ford · PACT Pre-Apprenticeship

"I switched from retail to IT in under a year. CompTIA A+ first, then a help desk role at a Charlotte MSP."

Aaliyah R.

Charlotte · IT Support & Network Training

Got Questions?

Trade & Tech Training: Common Questions

Plain answers to the questions Charlotte families, students, and partners ask most.

Are Give N Go programs tuition-free?
Yes. PACT and our trade and tech tracks are tuition-free for accepted participants. Programs are funded through grants, corporate sponsorships, and workforce-development funding, not student tuition.
What's the difference between PACT and NCCER?
PACT is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor as a pre-apprenticeship credential. NCCER is an industry-association credential used by some Charlotte trade-training peers. Both are respected. PACT's USDOL recognition is the differentiator for Registered Apprenticeship pathways.
Can justice-involved youth or adults enroll?
Yes. Give N Go specifically serves court-referred youth, returning citizens, and people with academic or behavioral barriers. Referrals come through schools, courts, and community agencies.
What ages does PACT serve?
Core PACT programming serves youth ages 14 to 17. Adult tracks for trades and tech serve participants 18 and older, including young adults seeking career pathways.
How much of the program is hands-on?
75% of PACT is work-based training and community service, with 25% classroom learning. Trainees log real construction and technology hours, not just theory.
Get Started

Ready to Build Your Future?

Applications for our next cohort are open. Apply, refer a student, or partner with Give N Go to power Charlotte's workforce pipeline.