The Pittsburgh area is home to many consultants and firms employing engineers in diverse fields. A significant number have opened their doors to the Apprenticeship Program. Several have made a point of remaining on the list of hosts year after year. The Engineering Apprenticeship year begins in September or October with an Orientation Session held in the AIU facilities. Apprentices are separated into groups and participate in mixer activities to get acquainted with the other group members.
Ingenuity is employed for a team solution to geometric puzzles.
Students must be ingenious as no vocal or written communication is permitted. Teams attack other problems with full communication within the group, and competition between the groups. A representative of the AIU explains what students can expect as well as what is expected of the students. The Apprenticeship Committee selects different types of host engineering organizations for students to visit, such as environmental, governmental, biotechnical, or manufacturing. Members of the Apprenticeship Committee contact prospective hosts.