What is an Apprenticeship?
An apprentice is someone who is learning a trade by working under the guidance of skilled workers, called journeymen. It's on-the-job training. You earn while you learn and are paid a wage from the first day you're hired by a contractor. Apprentices usually start at about 40% of the skilled journeyman carpenter's rate of pay. Your wages are increased at periodic intervals until your wages are up to 90% or 95% of the journeyemn's rate, which is usually in your fourth year of training. You're making money at no cost to you for the training.
Why is Apprenticeship Training Best for You?
You can go to a trade school teaching carpentry and get a certificate making you eligible for some jobs in the field. you can even try your luck by being a carpenter's helper doing unskilled work. But if you really want to be an all-around carpenter, who can perform any skilled task he or she is asked to perform, you had better get the broad experience you can only get by completing the 8,000 hours of work experience required to graduate as a journeyman carpenter.
If you would like more information regarding apprenticeship with the union, you can read the full Policy Statement by clicking here.
Already an apprentice? Then you'll want to check out the current Class Schedule.
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