HOME : How an apprenticeship program works
Term of Apprenticeship
The term of apprenticeship for the construction trades will range from three to five years, depending on the specific trade. Wages paid the apprentices are usually a percentage of the journeyman rate, customarily starting at 50 percent or higher, and increasing progressively every 1,000 hours through completion of their apprenticeship at which time the journeyman rate will be received.
Related Classroom Instruction
In class, apprentices learn the basic theories of their trade. On the job, under the direction and supervision of a skilled journeyman, they learn its practice. Apprentices must attend classes of related technical instruction, supplementing their training on the job, to give them a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical aspects of their work. This related technical instruction is a fundamental feature of apprenticeship. Classes may be conducted on weekends, during the off-season months, or in the evenings.
Fees or Charges
Some trades will require manuals, codes, or texts which are used constantly by journeymen. A nominal charge may be made for such essentials. Some crafts may require minimal tuition fees for use of the training facilities.
Indenture
Each apprentice signs an apprenticeship agreement with the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. If the apprentice is a minor, the parent or guardian must also sign the Agreement. This Agreement is then registered with the Apprenticeship and Training Program, Montana Department of Labor and Industry, which awards Certificates of Completion to apprentices upon successful completion of their training.
Joint Apprenticeship and Training
Committee (JATC)
The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, which is composed of contractors and union representatives, develops the standards of apprenticeship which define the processes of the trade, the number of hours to be spent in related classroom instruction and the number of on-the-job training. These Standards are registered with the United States Department of Labor.
Training Coordinators
Frequently, the Joint Apprenticeship and the Training Committee employ a person to act as a coordinator to oversee the operations of the program and to supervise the training of apprentices. The Coordinator keeps records of work progress and acts for the committee between meetings. Such coordinators have proven to be of great value to the effectiveness of the apprenticeship program and to the industry.
Funding
The program for training and developing a skilled craftsman (a journeyman or journeyperson) is provided for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (contract) between the contractors and unions in the several divisions of the construction industry. That contract may also provide for the use of the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee to cover expenses relating to the operation of the program. The contribution to the fund, ranging from five to twenty-five cents per hour, is made by the employers on the basis of the hours worked by the union journeymen.
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