An apprenticeship is two different things:
It’s a job
But it’s also school.
Mostly, though, it’s a great opportunity! An apprenticeship is a good way to prepare yourself for the future with on-the-job training in a highly skilled career.
An apprenticeship is a paid job. Someone who is new to the field (the apprentice) learns the skills needed for the job. Apprentices are trained by master craftsmen, who are experts in their field. They share their skills and knowledge to help the apprentice become an expert too.
An apprenticeship is also a school. Apprenticeships include classroom lessons to make sure the apprentice masters all aspects of the job.
There are apprenticeships for nearly any job you can imagine: from high-tech manufacturing to health care.
Would you like to learn more about different fields that offer apprenticeships? Here are five career areas that offer many apprenticeship opportunities in Washington State:
Health Care. Are you a people person? Would you like a career caring for other people? You can learn to be an optician, a physical therapy aide, or pursue many other opportunities in health-related careers.
Manufacturing. Do you like to work with your hands? Would you like to learn how to use the latest computer technology to work with wood, metal, or electronics? There are apprenticeships available for machinists, shop electricians, and many other manufacturing careers.
Food preparation and serving. Do you love good food? Would you like a career preparing or serving food? Apprenticeships in the culinary arts field give you many opportunities to learn to be a top-notch cook or server.
Public Safety. Do you want to protect others and keep our homeland safe? There are many apprenticeship opportunities in public safety, including firefighter, fire medic, and police officer.
Construction and Building Trades. Have you always wanted to build things? Would you like a career in the construction industry? You can apprentice to learn to be a plumber, pipefitter, carpenter, electrician, or many other careers.
You can find an apprentice in nearly any field. But all apprenticeships share some common characteristics:
Apprenticeships are only offered for jobs that are clearly recognized and valued throughout an industry. That means that your apprenticeship experience will be valid for a job in your field anywhere in the country.
Apprenticeships are for highly skilled occupations, those that require extra help to master.
Apprenticeships include at
least 2,000 hours of on-the-job experience with a skilled craftsman.
Apprenticeships also provide classroom instruction to ensure that new workers know everything they need to succeed.
Most apprenticeships take about 4 years to complete.
