AV TECH APPRENTICESHIP
Where Hands-On Training Meets a High-Growth Career
The audiovisual industry powers the world — concerts, corporate events, broadcasts, smart buildings, and more. The Loop Lab’s AV Apprenticeship Program connects opportunity youth to this booming field through an immersive, industry-backed training (2000 OJT Hours) —complete with real credentials, real job sites, and real employers ready to hire.
Applications for our Boston program open Fall 2026. For our current pilot in Springfield MA via Tech Bridge program, visit TechFoundry.org
THE GOAL
The AV Apprenticeship Program has one clear mission: take motivated young people — ages 18 to 30 — without prior industry experience, and transform them into credentialed audiovisual professionals ready to enter one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country.
This is a FREE program designed for opportunity youth who face systemic barriers to career access. No degree required. No prior AV knowledge required. What we’re looking for is curiosity, commitment, and drive.
Loop Lab acts as a workforce intermediary — we don’t just train, we connect. We sit at the table with industry employers, credentialing bodies, and partner organizations to make sure our apprentices move directly from training into employment.
CORE SKILLS
Apprentices train four days a week, gaining hands-on, practical skills in the audiovisual industry with 2000 OJT Hours total. The curriculum is built in official partnership with AVIXA — the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association — the global trade body for the AV industry. This isn’t a generic tech program. It’s industry-designed, industry-validated training.
Core competencies include:
AV signal flow and systems fundamentals
Live event setup, operation, and breakdown
Audio and visual equipment handling and troubleshooting
AV installation and integration basics
Unified communications and conferencing technology
Client and site communication best practices
Introduction to IT/AV convergence and smart building system
CREDENTIALS THAT OPEN DOORS
Completing the program isn’t just a personal win — it’s a professional credential. Throughout the training, apprentices earn stackable micro-certificates that demonstrate verified skills to employers. The program also prepares participants for the Certified Technology Specialist (CTS™) exam — the audiovisual industry’s most widely recognized and respected certification, administered by AVIXA.
The CTS credential signals to employers that you are industry-ready. Combined with hands-on job-site experience, our graduates enter the workforce with a profile that stands out.
What you earn:
• Industry micro-certificates (earned throughout the program) • CTS Certification Preparation
• Job-site experience with AV professionals • A verified professional portfolio and industry network
MORE THAN TECHNICAL SKILLS
Great AV professionals aren’t just technically skilled — they’re dependable, professional, and client-ready. That’s why the Loop Lab AV program weaves professional and human development throughout the entire training.
Apprentices build the whole-person skills that employers actually need on day one:
Financial literacy and career planning
Professional communication and client interaction
Resume building and interview preparation
Accountability, time management, and workplace professionalism
Networking and industry relationship-building
We want our graduates to be prepared for AV careers as they are now, and as they will evolve — not just the way they’ve been in the past
REAL JOB SITES. REAL EXPERIENCE.
After thetraining program, apprentices move directly into job-site placements alongside working AV professionals (2000 OJT Hours). This isn’t simulated. This is the REAL thing — live events, installations, and productions where our graduates apply everything they’ve learned in an actual professional environment.
For many of our apprentices, this is their first professional experience in the AV field. For their future employers, it’s proof of concept. Loop Lab’s employer partners are at the table from the beginning — not just at the end — making the transition from apprentice to employee as direct as possible.
BOSTON PROGRAM — LAUNCHING FALL 2026
We are excited to announce that Loop Lab’s in-house AV Technician Apprenticeship Program will launch in Boston this fall — in partnership with a leading AV industry employer bringing direct training, job-site experience, and employment opportunities to the table from day one.
This is more than a training program. It is a direct pipeline from the classroom into the industry, with an established employer partner committed to the success of our apprentices.
Applications and full program details will be available fall 2026. Get on our interest list now to be the first to know
The AV Careers program is growing nationally — built on trusted, local partnerships and a Train-theTrainer model that extends our impact city by city.
The Loop Lab serves as a national workforce intermediary for AV careers — not just a local training program. Our model is designed to be replicable, scalable, and community-rooted in every city we enter
OUR PARTNERS
Tech Foundry · Springfield, MA
Pilot Program — Active Now
The Loop Lab’s AV pilot launched in Springfield, Massachusetts in partnership with Tech Foundry. This program includes exploratory AV training, mentorship, and on-site industry immersion — and uses a Train-the-Trainer model that brings young adults from partner organizations directly into the AV ecosystem.
Learn more at TechFoundry.org
REEL Works · Brooklyn, NY
Expanding — More Details This Fall
We are building out AV programming in Brooklyn with REEL Works — bringing Loop Lab’s apprenticeship model into New York’s vibrant creative youth community. Stay tuned for details this fall.
Reimagine ATL · Atlanta, GA
Expanding — More Details This Fall
Loop Lab is headed SOUTH. Our growing partnership with Reimagine ATL will bring AV apprenticeship programming to Atlanta — with more details on programming and timelines coming in fall 2026.