Apprenticeship & Training

Train for a career in the trades.

Every member local of the council trains its own apprentices and journeymen. Here’s how apprenticeship works and what to expect.

How apprenticeship works

Each member local of the council runs its own apprenticeship through a Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC), made up of experienced representatives from the contractors’ associations and the trades locals.

The length of the program varies by trade, and every program is time-intensive. Apprentices train in the sector they’re accepted into and learn the specific body of knowledge that trade requires, including job safety, health, industry regulations and the fundamental skills of working with the tools of the trade.

Before you apply

  • Programs are highly selective, and every candidate is carefully screened.
  • No one with drug or alcohol problems can qualify.
  • Acceptance depends on your qualifications and the local’s manpower needs at the time of selection.
  1. 01

    Apply to a local

    Each local has its own selection process. Start with the locals that cover your county.

  2. 02

    Screening and selection

    The local’s JATC reviews every candidate against its requirements and current manpower needs.

  3. 03

    Train on the job and in the classroom

    Job-site experience is paired with classroom instruction as you advance through the program.

  4. 04

    Advance to journeyman

    Complete your trade’s program to reach journeyman status, with a lifetime of skills behind you.

In the classroom

As apprentices advance through the program, job-site experience is supplemented with classroom instruction in topics such as these.

Apprentices working at a training bench
  1. 01
    OSHA safety and health training
  2. 02
    Mathematics
  3. 03
    Reading blueprints and isometric drawings
  4. 04
    Computer-aided design (CAD)
  5. 05
    Sanitation
  6. 06
    Codes
  7. 07
    Control systems
  8. 08
    Elements of hydraulics and heat
  9. 09
    Physics
  10. 10
    Theory

Paid while you learn

Apprentices are paid by experience, with annual raises as they progress to journeyman status. Pay rates are set by the contract each local negotiates, so they vary by trade and local.

Apprentices fabricating ductwork in a training shop

Training for journeymen, too

Each local union in the council is responsible for training its own members, from apprentices through experienced journeymen.

$200M+
spent each year by our international unions on advanced industry training

The council also holds joint training programs for courses that are common across our trades, such as OSHA classes.

Ready to apply?

Apprenticeships are run by each local. Find the locals that cover your county to learn more about their programs.

Find your county