JOINT
APPRENTICESHIP
OF
THE
CONSTRUCTION TRADES
Contact Information (Requires PDF Reader)
Registered
Apprenticeship Programs of the Department of Labor
REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING
What is it?
Registered apprenticeship is a proven training
strategy that combines on-the-job training with related classroom instruction to
prepare highly skilled workers for American industry with requirements that are
clearly delineated in Federal and State laws and regulations.
Apprenticeship training leads to a Certificate of Completion and official
journeyworker status. It pays wages
to its participants at during the on-the-job training phase and increases these
wages throughout the training program in accordance with a predefined wage
progression scale. Apprentices
learn by working directly under the supervision of masters in the crafts, trade,
or relevant occupation area.
A written agreement is executed between the apprentice and the sponsor. This agreement details the roles and responsibilities of each party including an implicit social obligation that gives employers or program sponsors the right to expect to employ the apprentice upon completion of training given the investment in training and gives the apprentice a reasonable right to expect such employment under labor market conditions.
Who operates and pays for Registered Apprenticeship
Training?
Registered apprenticeship programs are operated by
private industry – a single employer, a group of employers or a group of
employers in cooperation with labor -- that have the ability to hire and train
in a work environment. Program
sponsors pay virtually all the training costs as well as progressively
increasing wages to their apprentices. Registered
apprenticeship programs range from one to six or more years in length.
For the apprentice, this translates into an “industry scholarship”
worth $40,000 to $150,000. Moreover, the content of the training program is determined
by industry needs thereby producing workers with skills that are in high demand.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training,
is responsible for registering apprenticeship programs that meet Federal
standards, issuing Certificates of Completion to apprentices, encouraging the
development of new programs through marketing and technical assistance,
protecting the safety and welfare of apprentices, and assuring that all programs
provide high quality training.
Registered Apprenticeships Programs are work/study training programs certified and approved by the U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (B.A.T.). Virtually all skilled or technical occupations can benefit from such programs.
Apprenticeships are generally operated by private industry employers or labor/management sponsors that have the ability to hire and train in a work environment. Program sponsors pay virtually all of the training costs as well as progressively increasing wages to their apprentices. The B.A.T. certifies and monitors the only “registered” apprenticeship training programs. The Registered Apprenticeship Construction Trades Programs approved by the B.A.T. are the only programs qualified to certify apprentices under laws governing public works projects.
· Within the Building and Construction trades, apprenticeships are common and have maintained a workforce of qualified craftpersons over time. Building and Construction Trades Apprenticeship programs train apprentices to become journey workers (journeymen). Classifications such as “helper” that might be used to describe workers in training or less skilled are not a part of a Registered Apprenticeship Program.
· Registered Apprenticeship Programs of the U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training typically require a contract-relationship between an employer and an employee during which the worker, or apprentice, learns a trade. The training lasts a specified length of time and covers all aspects of the trade and includes both on-the-job training and related classroom instructions for a specified number of hours.
· During the training, the apprentice works under experienced workers, known as journeyworkers (journeymen) and upon completion of each step or portion of the training, the apprentice performs the work under less and less supervision. Registered Apprenticeship training leads to a Certificate of Completion and official journey- worker status. Apprentices are paid during the on-the-job training program in accordance with a predefined wage progression scale.
· Registered apprenticeship programs also sponsor skill upgrading courses and other skill training for journeyworkers to insure current and marketable construction knowledge and skills.
· Attainment of journeyworker status through a registered apprenticeship program assures the worker that skills acquired are marketable in the construction workplace. Registered apprenticeship programs leading to journeyworker status assures the building and construction industry of an adequate supply of skilled labor. Periodic upgrading of journeyworker skill levels insures that apprentices benefit from supervision and training as well as benefiting the construction industry.
Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO
Department of Labor Apprenticeship Programs
Disclaimer: The information contained within this page is not complete. Contact each program for additional specific program requirements, standards, entrance criteria and schedules. This page and its links were prepared by the Harris County AFL-CIO Council, 2506 Sutherland, Houston, Texas 77023, 713-923-9473.