What is Apprenticeship?

What is Apprenticeship?

Apprenticeship is a structured system of training designed to prepare individuals for occupations in skilled trades and crafts. It combines on-the-job training, under the supervision of experienced journey workers, with related classroom instruction. Apprentices who successfully complete the prescribed number of hours of training in an apprenticeship program become certified skilled craft workers. The Arkansas AGC program is registered with the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training of the U.S. Department of Labor.

What does Apprenticeship offer?

Workers who complete apprenticeship programs can expect to hold good jobs with good pay. Their skills are a source of personal satisfaction as well as employment security. Statistics show that program graduates earn higher wages, have more stable work records and are promoted sooner and more often than workers who have not been trained through apprenticeship programs.

How much are apprentices paid?

Apprentices are full time employees who work a regular 40-hour week and earn while they learn. The more they learn, the higher their pay. To start, apprentices are usually paid 50 percent of a journeymen wages. Depending on the occupation, the starting wage for apprentices varies between $8 and $11 per hour plus benefits. Wages for apprentices increase at regular intervals (approximately every 6 months) as their job skills increase. At the successful completion of the term of apprenticeship, apprentices become journeymen and receive full pay for their skills.