Apprentices, Information and Frequently Asked Questions

Want a successful career? Want to further your education without racking up debt? Get started on your path to a successful career and enroll in a Registered Apprenticeship program.

With Registered Apprenticeship you receive:

• A paycheck: From day one, you will earn a paycheck guaranteed to increase over time as you learn new skills.
• Hands-on career training: As an apprentice, you will receive practical on-the-job training in a wide selection of programs, such as health care, construction, information technology and geospatial careers.
• An education: You'll receive hands-on training and have the potential to earn college credit, even an associate or bachelor's degree, in many cases paid for by your employer.
• A career: Once you complete your apprenticeship, you will be on your way to a successful long-term career with a competitive salary, and little or no educational debt.
• National industry certification: When you graduate from a career training program, you'll be certified and can take your certification anywhere in the U.S.
• Recognizable partners: Many of the nation's most recognizable companies, such as CVS/pharmacy and UPS, have Registered Apprenticeship programs.

The Registered Apprenticeship program offers access to 1,000 career areas, including the following top occupations:

• Able seaman
• Carpenter
• Chef
• Child care development specialist
• Construction craft laborer
• Dental assistant
• Electrician
• Elevator constructor
• Fire medic
• Law enforcement agent
• Over-the-road truck driver
• Pipefitter

Registered apprenticeship program sponsors identify the minimum qualifications to apply into their apprenticeship program. The eligible starting age can be no less than 16 years of age; however, individuals must usually be 18 to be an apprentice in hazardous occupations. Program sponsors may also identify additional minimum qualifications and credentials to apply, e.g., education, ability to physically perform the essential functions of the occupation, proof of age. All applicants are required to meet the minimum qualifications. Based on the selection method utilized by the sponsor, additional qualification standards, such as fair aptitude tests and interviews, school grades, and previous work experience may be identified.

Find out about successful, ongoing Registered Apprenticeship programs at this site. Read about the benefits from employers and apprentices that are or have been involved in Registered Apprenticeship.

Registered Apprenticeship programs meet the skilled workforce needs of American industry, training millions of qualified individuals for lifelong careers since 1937. Registered Apprenticeship helps mobilize America's workforce with structured, on-the-job learning in traditional industries such as construction and manufacturing, as well as new emerging industries such as health care, information technology, energy, telecommunications and more. Registered Apprenticeship connects job seekers looking to learn new skills with employers looking for qualified workers, resulting in a workforce with industry-driven training and employers with a competitive edge.

Registered Apprenticeship program sponsors (employers, employer associations and labor management organizations) vary from small, privately owned businesses to national employer and industry associations. Today, we have nearly 29,000 sponsors representing more than 250,000 employers, including UPS, the United States Military Apprenticeship Program, Werner Enterprises, CVS/pharmacy and many others.

From day one, apprentices receive a paycheck that is guaranteed to increase as their training progresses. Apprentices also complete a combination of industry-specific classroom education and hands-on career training leading to nationally recognized certifications.

Registered apprenticeship program sponsors identify the minimum qualifications to apply into their apprenticeship program. The eligible starting age can be no less than 16 years of age; however, individuals must usually be 18 to be an apprentice in hazardous occupations. Program sponsors may also identify additional minimum qualifications and credentials to apply, e.g., education, ability to physically perform the essential functions of the occupation, proof of age. All applicants are required to meet the minimum qualifications. Based on the selection method utilized by the sponsor, additional qualification standards, such as fair aptitude tests and interviews, school grades, and previous work experience may be identified.

Apprentices earn competitive wages, a paycheck from day one and incremental raises as skill levels increase. In fiscal year 2008, the average hourly wage for a journeyperson who completed an apprenticeship was $23.94, which translates to $49,795 annually.

The Registered Apprenticeship program's national office is located in Washington, D.C. However, the program has a presence in all of the 50 states and some territories, in the form of federal staff and/or state and employer partners.

Nationwide, there are registered apprenticeship programs for over 1000 occupations and that number continually grows. A few of the traditional skilled occupations in which apprentices are being trained are: automotive technician, baker, bricklayer, carpenter, electrician, machinist, maintenance mechanic, operating engineer, painter, roofer, sheet metal worker, structural steel worker, and tool and die maker. However, there are many other occupations that have apprenticeship programs. Examples of these occupations are computer programmer, computer service mechanic, dairy technologist, dental assistant, electronics technician, environment analyst, fire fighter, horticulturist, insurance claims adjuster, laboratory technician, optical technician, wastewater treatment plant operator, chef, and many others.

The Office of Apprenticeship provides a list of the officially recognized apprenticeable occupations.

The length of an apprenticeship program depends on the complexity of the occupation and the type of program (Time Based, Competency Based, or a Hybrid). Apprenticeship programs range from 1 year to 6 years, but the majority are 4 years in length. During the program, the apprentice receives both structured, on-the-job learning (OJL) and related classroom instruction (RTI). For each year of the apprenticeship, the apprentice will receive normally 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and a recommended minimum of 144 hours of related classroom instruction.

Time-Based Requirements
A time-based occupation requires a minimum of 2,000 hours, which includes an outline of the specific work processes and the approximate time requirement for each individual work process under that occupation.

Competency/Performance Program Requirements
Competency/performance based apprenticeship programs are premised on attainment of demonstrated, observable and measurable competencies in lieu of meeting time based work experience and on-the-job learning. However, these programs still have to comply with the requirement for the allocation of the approximate time to be spent in each major process. Therefore, work experience process schedules and related instruction outlines must specify approximate time of completion or attainment of each competency, which can be applied toward the 2,000-hour requirement (competencies demonstrated not withstanding and assuming no credit for previous experience). In competency/performance based programs apprentices may accelerate the rate of competency achievement or take additional time beyond the approximate time of completion or attainment due the open entry and exit design. Competency is defined as, "An observable, measurable pattern of skills, knowledge, abilities, behaviors and other characteristics that an individual needs to perform work roles or occupational functions successfully."

• Competencies should be identified and defined through a job/task analysis and directly related to the job/role.
• Organized learning activities should be structured and wherever possible, self-paced with open entry and open exit.
• Measures or tests of competency attainment should be observable, repeatable and agreed to in advance.
• Work experience process schedules and related instruction outlines should include the approximate time/hours or minimum - maximum times/hours for each competency attained in order to document successful completion.

Hybrid Program Requirements

In addition to time-based programs which have a fixed set time for completion (i.e., 2,000, 4,000, 6,000 hours) and competency/performance based programs, a third alternative has evolved which, in effect, is a "hybrid" of the two types of programs previously mentioned. This third type of program is basically a combination of time and performance considerations whereby work processes are developed with a minimum - maximum time/hours for each task or job requirement (i.e., minimum 200 hours maximum 400 hours).

The U.S. Department of Labor's Registered Apprenticeship program allows your son or daughter to work and earn a paycheck - while learning skills and earning the certifications that employer wants. Registered Apprenticeship provides more than 500,000 apprentices across the U.S. with industry-specific education, on-the-job training, nationally recognized certifications, and guaranteed wage increases.

To find out more about the benefits of the Registered Apprenticeship program, contact the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship or your state’s apprenticeship office.

Offices Contact Information

• National Office Contact Information
• Regional Office Contact Information
• Office of Apprenticeship State Offices Contact Information
• State Apprenticeship Agencies Contact Information