The formal Apprenticeship Program is supervised by the Joint Apprenticeship

Training Committee (J.A.T.C.), a group which represents both management and labor.

Training terms and standards for each program are developed by the local J.A.C. in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. These Apprenticeship Standards are clearly defined and specified in the Apprenticeship Agreement. The Agreement is a formal contract which is explained to each applicant before he or she is accepted into an apprenticeship.

Although the terms of apprenticeship training vary for each trade, the following are some of the general standards:

• Time of Apprenticeship is measured either by years or hours, with one year equaling 2,000 hours.
• Apprentices attend classes for 1 week every 3 months, a system designed to accommodate the needs of contractors and apprentices alike. Courses include such subjects as safety, mathematics, blueprint reading and hands-on training.
• Apprentices receive wages usually expressed as a percentage of the journeyman's wages with the beginning wage averaging at 50 percent.
• Payment of union dues and initiation fees is required.
• Upon successful completion of training, apprentices are issued a Certificate of Completion by the state and a Journeyman's Certificate from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
• The Carpenter Apprenticeship Program is accredited through the Community College of Allegheny County.

Click here to download a sample test. (Adobe Acrobat Required. Download it here.)

To apply, more information is available here...