What you are paid
Apprentice wages are set as a percentage of the journeyworker scale for your trade and rise on a published progression as you advance.
Earn while you learn
A U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship is a job, a classroom, and a career all at once. You get a paycheck from day one and finish with a nationally recognized credential — and no student debt.
$0
Tuition
Day 1
Your Paycheck Starts
3–5
Years, Typically
16
Locals to Choose From
What it is
Registered means somebody is accountable for your training.
Anyone can call a job “training.” A Registered Apprenticeship is different: it is validated by the U.S. Department of Labor and it has to meet a published standard before a single apprentice is indentured.
That registration is what separates a real career pathway from being handed a broom and called an apprentice. It sets what you must be taught, how many hours you must work, who is responsible for mentoring you, and what your wage does as your skills grow.
- It is a paid job. You are hired and working from the first day, not paying to attend school.
- Industry-vetted standards. The curriculum is built and approved against what the trade actually demands in the field.
- Structured on-the-job training. Thousands of documented hours on real jobsites, not shadowing whoever is free.
- An assigned mentor. A journeyworker is responsible for teaching you — that is their job, not a favor.
- Related classroom instruction. Code, math, print reading, safety and theory behind what your hands did that week.
- Rewards for skill gains. Your pay steps up on a published schedule as you complete hours and coursework.
- A portable, nationally recognized credential. It travels with you to any union jobsite in the country.
Earn as you learn
A four-year education, paid in reverse.
Instead of paying a school for years and then hoping for a job, you go to work on day one and the education comes with the job.
You work
Days are spent on real projects learning and working beside a journeyworker who is accountable for teaching you the craft. Every hour is documented against your program’s requirements.
You study
Evenings or scheduled weeks at your local’s training center. This training includes: welding, blueprints, trade math, safety certifications and the theory behind the task.
You step up
Complete a period — a set block of on-the-job hours plus your classroom requirements and your wage increases as you progress.
You top out
Reach journey level and you are earning the full negotiated rate for your classification, with a credential recognized nationwide.
What it costs you
No tuition. Our Registered Apprenticeship programs are self-sufficient and training is funded through the collective bargaining agreements.
The benefits
What a registered apprenticeship actually gets you
This is the case the building trades have been making for a century, and it holds up: the training is free, the wage is real, and the credential is yours for life.
A paycheck from day one
You are an employee, not a student. Family-sustaining wages start with your first shift and climb every time you complete a period.
Debt-free training
No tuition and no loans. The average graduate carries five figures of debt into a first job; you carry a credential and a wage instead.
Health care & retirement
Family health coverage, a defined-benefit pension and an annuity — benefits most workers your age will never be offered.
A credential that travels
Your journeyworker certification is nationally recognized. Move to another state and your training moves with you — no starting over.
A mentor, not a manual
You learn from a journeyworker whose responsibility is to help you succeed. That relationship is the reason our people finish sharper and is the entire purpose of a union. We grow together.
College credit
Many programs articulate your classroom hours toward an associate degree, so the coursework counts twice if you want it to.
Why it produces better tradespeople
Nobody gets good at this in a semester.
A trade is judgment as much as technique — knowing why the drawing is wrong, what the inspector will flag, when to stop and ask. That is built from thousands of hours on live jobsites under someone who has already made the mistakes.
Registered apprenticeship is the only construction training model that guarantees those hours, structures what happens inside them, and holds a joint labor-management committee accountable for the outcome. The classroom reinforces the field and the field proves out the classroom.
It is also why safety is baked in rather than bolted on. Apprentices are trained to OSHA standards from the start and mentored by people who have watched what happens when corners get cut.
Across North America, the building trades run roughly 1,900 training centers and train the large majority of all construction apprentices — at no cost to the taxpayer. North America’s Building Trades Unions
- Thousands of documented field hours before anyone calls you a journeyworker.
- A national curriculum so a Nashville-trained hand meets the same standard anywhere.
- Safety from day one — OSHA 10 and 30, plus trade-specific certifications.
- Funded by the industry itself, through the contractors who have to live with the quality of the work.
Choose your craft
Sixteen locals, sixteen ways in
Each affiliate runs its own registered program. Most run three to five years depending on the trade, combining full-time paid work with scheduled classroom instruction. Application windows, entry requirements and wage progressions are set by each local — contact them directly.
Boilermakers Local 455
Boilermaker
Boilers, pressure vessels, tanks and stacks at power generation, refining and process facilities, including outage and turnaround work.
Bricklayers Local 5
Bricklayer & Allied Craftworker
Brick, block and stone masonry, tile, marble and terrazzo, refractory work and restoration.
Carpenters Local 223
Carpenter
Concrete formwork, framing, interior systems and acoustical ceilings, doors and hardware, floor covering and finish carpentry.
Cement Masons Local 909
Cement Mason & Plasterer
Placing and finishing flatwork, structural and decorative concrete, plus plaster, stucco and EIFS.
Electricians Local 429
Electrician
Power distribution, motor controls, fire alarm, building automation, fiber and structured cabling.
Elevator Constructors Local 93
Elevator Constructor
Installing, modernizing and maintaining elevators, escalators and moving walks — among the most rigorous programs in construction.
Insulators Local 86
Mechanical Insulator
Insulating pipe, duct, boilers and vessels for energy performance, condensation control and personnel protection.
Ironworkers Local 492
Ironworker
Structural steel erection, rebar and post-tensioning, rigging, precast and curtain wall, ornamental metals.
Laborers Local 386
Construction Craft Laborer
Earthwork, concrete placement, scaffolding, pipelaying, demolition and hazardous material abatement.
Millwrights Local 1554
Millwright
Installing and aligning compressors, pumps, conveyors and turbines to tolerances measured in thousandths of an inch.
Operating Engineers Local 369
Operating Engineer
Cranes, excavators, dozers and graders, plus stationary engineers and heavy equipment mechanics.
Painters & Glaziers Local 456
Painter, Finisher & Glazier
Commercial and industrial coatings, drywall finishing, wall coverings, glazing and floor covering.
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 572
Plumber & Pipefitter
Plumbing, process and steam piping, HVACR service, medical gas and certified welding.
Road Sprinkler Fitters Local 669
Sprinkler Fitter
Installing, testing and servicing the fire suppression systems a building’s life safety depends on.
Sheet Metal Workers Local 177
Sheet Metal Worker
Fabricating and installing ductwork, architectural metal and industrial systems; test-and-balance and HVAC service.
Teamsters Local 327
Construction Teamster
Ready-mix and material delivery, heavy haul and equipment transport, rigging and site support.
The path in
Four steps from interested to indentured
Pick your trade
Think about how you like to work: considerations such as precision fabrication or heavy equipment, troubleshooting or building. Talk to people already in the trade.
Check the window
Each local takes applications on its own schedule — some continuously, some once or twice a year. Call the hall so you do not miss it.
Apply & test
Each Local Union is different and some will require proof of age and education, an aptitude test in math and reading, and an interview with the joint apprenticeship committee.
Get indentured
Once accepted and dispatched to a signatory contractor, you sign your apprenticeship agreement, start earning, and begin classes according to the Local Union’s Apprenticeship protocol.
Requirements
What you need to get started
Requirements vary by trade, but nearly every program starts from the same short list. You do not need construction experience.
The basics
Be at least 18. Most require you to hold a high school diploma or GED. Be physically able to perform the work of the trade. Have reliable transportation to jobsites across the region.
Usually also
A valid driver’s license. The ability to pass a drug screen — our jobsites are drug-free.
What helps
A pre-apprenticeship program, shop or CTE coursework, military service, or simply a work history that shows you turn up on time.
Questions
Apprenticeship FAQ
Do I have to pay for the training?
No. There is no tuition. Programs are funded by Local Unions. You may be required to pay an application fee and buy your own hand tools, boots and books.
How much will I make as an apprentice?
Apprentice wages are set as a percentage of the journeyworker rate for your trade and step up on a published schedule as you complete each period. Rates differ by trade and are renegotiated over time, so ask the local you are applying to for its current wage progression sheet.
How long does it take?
Most programs run three to five years depending on the trade. Some of the more technical crafts sit at the longer end. Each local can tell you exactly what its program requires.
Do I need construction experience?
No. Programs are built to train people from zero. Committees look for reliability and a willingness to learn. Most new apprentices come from retail, food service, warehousing, the military, or straight out of high school.
Is there an age limit?
You must be at least 18. There is no upper limit — career changers in their thirties and forties succeed in these programs every year.
What does “registered” actually mean?
The program is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, which validates the on-the-job hours, related instruction, mentorship, wage progression and supervision against a published standard. It is why the credential you finish with is recognized nationally.
Can I switch trades later?
You can apply to another local’s program, though you would generally start their progression from the beginning. Spend real time on the choice up front. Be sure to speak with several from the trade(s) you’re interested in before you apply and research online.
Ready to start?
Reach out and tell us what interests you. We will connect you with the training coordinator at the right local.