Registered Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is a paid job with structured training. You earn a paycheck from day one, take classes, and finish with a nationally recognized credential, usually without student debt.
- Construction
- General Industry
Photo: apprentices in a training center welding lab
How it works
- On-the-job learning under experienced journeyworkers, typically 2,000 hours per year.
- Related classroom instruction, often at night or in blocks of a week or more.
- Rising pay: you start at a percentage of journeyworker pay and get raises as you progress.
- Most construction apprenticeships last 3 to 5 years.
- When you finish, you receive a completion certificate as a journeyworker.
Who runs them
- Union apprenticeships: run jointly by unions and contractors (JATCs). Examples include IBEW/NECA electrical, UA plumbing and pipefitting, and Carpenters training centers.
- Non-union apprenticeships: run by contractor associations such as ABC, IEC and AGC chapters, or by individual employers.
- Registered programs are approved by the U.S. DOL or your State Apprenticeship Agency, which sets standards and protects apprentices.
Getting in
- Usually 18 or older, with a high school diploma or GED (some accept 16 or 17)
- Basic math (algebra for some trades), an aptitude test, and an interview
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for many trades
- Pre-apprenticeship programs can help you prepare and get in
Standards & references
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