Building Trades Craft Unions offer Apprenticeship Programs
Building Trades Apprenticeships prepare women and men for careers in construction by integrating on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Graduates are certified as Journey-level workers and can work from union hiring halls anywhere in the United States.
Apprentices start at a portion of journey-level pay and advance as they fulfill requirements approved by the State of California. Work and classroom hours required to achieve journey-level status for the various Building Trades are listed on the web pages of the individual unions. Apprenticeships generally require applicants to be at least 18 years of age, to have a valid driver's license, and to be a high school graduate or hold a GED.
The federal government, in cooperation with the states, registers apprenticeship programs that meet federal and state standards. The best programs — which provide multiple industries with highly skilled workers who earn family-sustaining wages — are registered with government agencies, operated by sponsors representing labor and management organizations, and funded through collectively-bargained contributions to tax-exempt trust funds.
"Effective training is the cornerstone of successful building and construction careers. By offering training and apprenticeship programs, building trades unions help shape the futures of America's workers… employers recognize the excellence achieved through the collective bargaining process, in which both sides negotiate contracts which pay good wages, deliver health and retirement security, and assist workers in building careers they take pride in."
— AFL-CIO
Programs include
- Painters and Allied Trades Finishing Trades Institute
- Ironworkers
- Heat and Frost Insulators
- Carpenters
- Boilermakers National Joint Apprenticeship Program
- Electrical Workers / NECA National Joint Apprenticeship Council
- Laborers
- Bricklayers Masonry Institute
- Elevator Constructors National Elevator Industry Educational Program
- Plasterers and Cement Masons
- The Sheet Metal Workers International Training Institute
- Cement Masons
- Plumbers and Pipe Fitters
- Sprinklerfitters
- United Union of Roofers and Waterproofers
- Operating Engineers