The apprenticeship program is a proven and successful educational system of training entry-level employees to become skilled journeyman in a specific trade or craft. The result of the partnership is a long-term structured training program which supplies local and regional labor forces with skilled workers.
Most apprenticeships are three to four years in length.
Women and minorities are encouraged to investigate apprenticeship opportunities. An apprenticeship is based on a formal written agreement between employees and employers. Wages for apprentices vary among the trades and according to geographic locations, but are higher than those earned by unskilled or semi-skilled workers. Pay increases are based on semi-annual evaluations by the trade apprenticeship committee of the individual's performance at work and in related training classes. After certification, which may include a state licensing test, the journeyman is recognized throughout the industry as having learned the trade according to that industry's minimum standards.