Apprenticeships

When you become an apprentice, you work and earn a paycheck but you also get training. Many apprenticeships finish with a certificate or license that will allow you to work in a trade.

Apprenticeships are great opportunities to enter high-paying fields. Some of the occupations that offer apprenticeships are:

• Automotive technician
• Baker
• Bricklayer
• Carpenter
• Chef
• Child care development specialist
• Computer programmer
• Construction craft laborer
• Dental assistant
• Electrician
• Elevator constructor
• Fire medic
• Horticulturist
• Lab technician
• Machinist
• Operating engineer
• Over-the-road truck driver
• Painter
• Pharmacy technician
• Plumber and pipefitter
• Roofer
• Sheet metal worker

Apprenticeship programs are sponsored by employers, labor unions and associations. All programs have eligibility requirements and guarantee wage increases as you meet skill standards. They last between one and six years.

Applying for an apprenticeship is like applying for a job. You can look for apprenticeship opportunities in your area by searching on apprenticeship.gov, selecting the “career seeker path”, and entering your location and a career field, such as “carpentry”, then completing an application. You can also search a job bank using keywords like “pharmacy technician apprentice”.

To find union-sponsored apprenticeships, search “Unions + (your city)” in your browser and looking for “apprenticeship” on their websites.

For hands-on assistance with finding apprenticeships, contact a local American Job Center.

Learn more about official apprenticeship programs by clicking on “Apprenticeship programs” below.