A Career in Construction and the Skilled Trades
Learn on the Job!

Apprenticeship connects job seekers who want to learn new skills with employers who want qualified workers. Employers, employer associations, and joint labor-management organizations, known collectively as apprenticeship sponsors, provide apprentices with instruction that reflects industry needs. Apprentices receive on-the-job learning and academic instruction that equips them with the portable skill sets needed to advance in their chosen field. The result is workers with industry driven training and employers with a competitive edge.

The apprenticeship model helps participants attain high performance through a cohesive process which links formal instruction in the form of a degree or certification with a standardized process of delivering and measuring hands-on/on-the-job learning.

For decades, registered apprenticeship programs have been successful by combining on-the-job learning with classroom theory supported by a strong mentoring component. The apprentice goes through a structured program established by the employer that includes incremental wage increases until he or she completes the course of training.

How it Works in Construction and Skilled Trades
Construction workers often enter the field as unskilled helpers, and work closely with an experienced professional to learn a trade. Apprenticeships are primarily obtained through a trade union and can involve a classroom element as well as hands-on learning.

Bricklayers & Stonemasons Carpentry Concrete Masons Drywall Installers Electricians Glaziers HVAC Technicians

Heavy Equipment Operators Insulation Workers Ironworkers Millwrights Painters Pipefitters Plumbers

Roofers Sheetmetal Workers Sprinklerfitters Tilesetters Welders

So is apprenticeship training with the skilled / building trades for you? Answer the following questions. If the answers are mostly yes, you may have what it takes:

Do you enjoy hands-on work? Do you enjoy working with your hands? Do you need variety in your work? Are you dependable? Are you able to do active and physical work and is it enjoyable to you? Do you mind working in all types of weather? Do you like working with tools? Do you get along with all different types of people.

Do you enjoy solving a problem? Does working outdoors seem more interesting than sitting at a desk all day? Can you work independently and with persistence to get the job done? Are your math skills pretty good? Do you work well in a team environment?

Contact the apprenticeship programs in this guide to learn more about their specific requirements and benefits - and get excited about learning a skill that will make a difference in the world around you!

Article compiled from the Dept. of Labor.