Apprenticeships
How to become and Apprentice
- You must obtain employment as an apprentice in your chosen occupation.
- The employer must be signatory to a program in the chosen occupation.
- The employer must register you as an apprentice within 30 days of hire.
- Certain crafts require drug testing and reliable transportation.
Aspect of Work
- Learning and developing new practical craft-related skills, knowledge and competence
- Working with and learning from experienced Craft persons
- Seeing a job through from start to finish
- Comply with Health and Safety requirements
- Site preparation, including trenching, and excavation
- Being accurate with numbers in counting, measuring and arithmetic
- Completing detailed tasks that requires accuracy and careful handling
- Working with technical drawings and diagrams
- Working with a variety of specialized hand tools, power tools and equipment
- Being well organized and careful with practical tasks
- Lifting and carrying heavy items
- Taking responsibility for their own learning, including allocation of study time
- Being physically active
- Bending and kneeling
- Passing all module exams, code tests and skill demonstrations
- Understanding and using math, physics and technical language skills
Entry Qualifications
- Must be 18 years of age. Can enroll at 16 years of age if working in a family-owned business.
- Must have High School Diploma, G.E.D Certificate or secondary education transcript. Conditional entry granted to apprentices concurrently enrolled in a G.E.D. program.
- Driver’s License or State-issued ID.
Note: Knowledge in the following areas would be advantageous but not essential: Mathematics, Technology, Technical Drawing/Graphics, Physics and Construction Technologies.
Advancement Opportunities
Upon successful completion of the plumber apprenticeship program, apprentices receive a Certificate of Completion from the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Agency and will be qualified to sit for the Arkansas State Journey person Plumber licensing exam.
Apprentices completing their apprenticeship in an Arkansas Apprenticeship program are considered some of the best trained journeypersons in the country. Many graduates use this platform to launch careers as engineers, superintendents, project managers, estimators, chief operations officers, business owners, teachers and instructors. The sky is the limit!