With support from local philanthropy, Next Prep grew from a promising concept into a proven model serving hundreds of students across St. Louis. The model is already gaining national attention: education leaders and intermediaries from across the country have traveled to St. Louis to study our innovative approach to career-connected learning, and elements of the model are being replicated in communities, including the Bay Area and Indianapolis.

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ support builds on that momentum, allowing Next Prep to broaden and deepen its impact for students, schools, and employers in St. Louis. This investment in St. Louis is part of a larger $90 million national skilled trades initiative launching across nine regions, designed to help approximately 15,000 high school students access paid training, industry credentials, and clearer pathways into Registered Apprenticeships and high-wage careers. 

“Millions of good-paying jobs are going unfilled, and too many students never get a chance to learn the skills necessary to get them. This new initiative will help change that,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term mayor of New York City. “By bringing schools, unions, and employers together as partners, we can offer students free training and credentials that lead directly to rewarding careers.”

Since 2023, The Opportunity Trust has scaled Next Prep, from initially serving 235 students and supporting 26 employer site visits at one school to serving nearly 1,000 students across four partner schools and 40 employer partners. What began as a college and career preparation model has become a growing platform for career-connected learning — helping students build self-awareness, explore industries, develop professional skills, earn credentials, and connect with employers before they graduate.

That growth is already influencing work beyond St. Louis. As other cities look to strengthen the bridge between high school and what comes next, Next Prep has become a model for how an intermediary can connect schools, employers, and postsecondary pathways in ways that are both practical for partners and meaningful for students.

By the numbers:

• Next Prep served 950 students in SY25-26.
• 84% of 10th graders believe that Next Prep support will help their careers.
• 60% of 11th graders interested in skilled trades earned an industry-recognized credential before graduating.
• 17 juniors participated in a Skilled Trades and Manufacturing Intensive, with 10 earning one or more certifications.
• Local partners have committed 170 Registered Apprenticeship spots across 21 career pathways.

With Bloomberg Philanthropies’ support, Next Prep will build on early successes to create a broader regional infrastructure — creating 100 new apprenticeship seats annually, expanding programming across schools, and piloting a flexible access model that brings hands-on skilled trades training directly to students from multiple St. Louis schools while connecting them to credentials, apprenticeships, and employers.

Students will gain access to hands-on training, career coaching, transportation support, stipends, tools and equipment, industry-recognized credentials, and paid apprenticeship pathways. The goal is not to steer students toward a single career path, but to expand the number of opportunities available to them.

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ support affirms what The Opportunity Trust’s donors and partners have helped make possible: a local model with national relevance, built through years of disciplined investment, partnership, and learning. The Opportunity Trust is also the only organization in the country participating in both Bloomberg Philanthropies’ healthcare workforce initiative and this new skilled trades effort, representing more than $20 million invested in preparing young people for high-demand careers. 

Through Next Prep, The Opportunity Trust is turning its vision for a different kind of high school experience into a scalable model, one where students graduate not just with a diploma, but with preparation, direction, and real access to opportunity. This initiative shows how early investment, strong partnerships, and proven results can attract the resources needed to scale what works.