Through the Apprenticeship Agreement, an apprentice, as an employee, receives supervised, structured on-the-job training combined with related technical instruction. The on-the-job training provides the diversity of training required to perform at a highly skilled level and the related instruction provides the technical knowledge required to perform at a highly skilled level. Some registered apprenticeship programs also have dual accreditation through post-secondary institutions which apply credit for apprenticeship completion towards an Associate Degree.

Increase in Wages

A progressively increasing schedule of wages is based on the journeyworker's hourly wage of the apprentice's occupation. These increases occur with satisfactory progress in both related instruction and on-the-job training until wages reach 85 to 90 percent of the rate paid the journeyworker in the occupation.

Completion Certificate

Upon completing a one to four year (2,000 hours to 8,000 hours) apprenticeship, the worker receives an Apprenticeship Completion Certificate and is recognized as a qualified journeyworker nationwide. This Certificate is one of the oldest, most basic, and most highly portable industry credentials in use today. The Certificate is issued by a federally approved State Apprenticeship Agency or, in those States not having such an agency, by the Office of Apprenticeship State Office.