kNOw Limits Foundation · Work-Based Learning

MasterCraft University (MCU)

A Real Pre-Apprenticeship. A Real Job Site. A Real Future in the Trades.

MCU is a 120-hour, CTE-aligned, work-based learning pre-apprenticeship where students train on an active renovation project, not a simulated classroom. Every hour builds toward a credential, a skill, and a career.

120 Hours 12 Weeks NCCER + OSHA-10 Credentials 100% Year 0 Employment

What Is a Pre-Apprenticeship?

A pre-apprenticeship is structured, supervised, entry-level training designed to prepare a student for a formal apprenticeship or direct entry into a skilled trade. MCU is built to that standard: 120 structured hours combining classroom instruction with real, supervised job-site work at the MCU Live Lab, an active renovation project at 2:Ten Church in Phoenix.

This is not a training warehouse or a simulation. Students demo, tile, install, and repair real structures on a real community building, supervised by credentialed trades professionals and employer partner mentors.

Who Qualifies

Age Requirement

Students must be 16 years old.

CTE Enrollment

Must be enrolled in a CTE Internship class at their high school.

What You'll Build

Every MCU cohort works a real scope of trade tasks under mentor supervision:

Demolition

Safe, supervised teardown as the first phase of every renovation.

Drywall Repair

Patch, tape, texture, and finish to a paint-ready standard.

Plumbing Disconnection

Safe shutoff and disconnect procedures under licensed supervision.

Subfloor Installation

Prep and install subfloor ahead of finish work.

Tile Measurement & Installation

Layout, cutting, and setting tile to a professional finish.

What Students Receive

The Payoff

Graduate with CTE Certification
Industry certification (with support of their high school courses)
First Aid/CPR
Completed ECAP Portfolio

Direct Mentorship

Supervision from credentialed tradespeople and employer partner mentors who evaluate real work to a professional standard.

Year 0 Proof: 100% of MCU graduates were employed in skilled trades within 30 days of exit. This is the Foundation's most powerful outcome data point, and it's just the beginning.

See It In Action

A look inside the MCU Live Lab, real renovation work, real progress, real students building real futures.

MCU intern demonstrating floor thin-set application — Floor Thin-Set Demo

MCU intern assembling a grinder tool — Tool Assembly & Safety Prep

Drywall repair preparation — Drywall Repair Prep

Completed drywall repair — Drywall Repair, Finished

MCU intern completing drywall repair — Building the Skill

Bathroom Demo, Phase 2

Elevate EdAZ Work-Based Learning Certified Partner badge

Certified Work-Based Learning Partner, in partnership with Elevate EdAZ

Host an Intern. Hire a Graduate.

MCU exists because employer partners open real job sites to real students. The Foundation funds the student stipend for the full 120-hour pre-apprenticeship, so there is no wage cost to host an intern. Our ask is simple: give a student real work and real mentorship, then give our graduates real consideration for paid employment when the pre-apprenticeship is complete. We are actively recruiting business partners to expand placements for our next cohort.

Become an Employer Partner

Ready to Build Something Real?

MCU cohorts are limited by employer partner capacity. Students, families, and schools: express interest today.

Apply for MCU

MasterCraft Work-Based Learning