

The Building and Construction Trades consist of many technical crafts. These different trades encompass many skills and because of the complex scope of each trade, the technical training necessary to construct and service the industry is extensive and demanding.
The apprenticeship training in construction today includes residential, commercial, industrial buildings, roads and bridges. To construct and maintain these systems, special training is necessary and after completion you will have one of life's most important assets, the assurance and security of a good trade. So if you are willing to study, work and apply your best efforts, this is your opportunity to enroll today for a lifetime of satisfaction and benefits.
The boilermakers who construct boilers, pressure vessels and turbines on power houses, dams or large construction projects. These tradesmen must have the ability to learn to hoist, place and weld large objects. A good eye and hand coordination is important.
Or you may be interested in becoming a glazier. In the course of a four year apprenticeship, the apprentice glazier will learn the cutting and installation of many types of glass and metals in the classroom, and on the job site while working under the supervision of journeymen glaziers.
You could also consider being a laborer. Construction does not move without the laborer. If you're interested in painting, the painters prepare the surfaces of buildings and other structures and then apply paint, varnish, enamel, lacquer, and similar materials to these surfaces. The protection and beautification of the exteriors and interiors of buildings and structures of all types and many surfaces important to our everyday living is the principal activity of those working in the painting, decorating and drywall industry.
The roofer installs and repairs mastic and rubber roofing and waterproofing materials on structures. A roofer must be in good physical condition for outside work and have the ability to work comfortably at heights.
The sprinklerfitter installs and maintains water and chemical fire suppression systems in factories and office buildings. They must have the ability to learn code, blueprint reading and the handling and cutting of pipe.
The tile layers trade consists of the laying and setting of all hard tile or comparable material. Over the last five years the use of hard tile has grown greatly and continues to do so. Hard work and good attitude is a must in this trade.
All of the trade unions have programs that are a joint labor-management effort to train skilled craftsmen for today's construction industry. To be accepted and enter one of the programs means that you will receive on-the-job training with pay and professional classroom and shop instruction, which includes hands-on-training in the mechanical and technical aspects of your chosen trade.
The Big-Step outreach program was established to acquaint individuals with employment and career opportunities in the skilled trades. Big-Step has the support of the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council (MBTC), contractor associations, and their join apprenticeship training committees. Leftwich Management Group, LLC serves as the Program Administrators for Big-Step, Inc.
Big-Step is striving to become the major assistance program to help applicants upgrade in math, science, and other academic skills for a successful career in construction. What still remains is the task of persuading recent high school graduates and under-employed individuals to pursue apprenticeship trade training for their career goals. The quality of the training and substantial pay rates provides immediate rewards on the road to a successful future. Apprenticeship is a well-planned training system, learn while you earn training program, that a young person who successfully goes through an apprenticeship program will enter this industry with a solid foundation. Big-Step can help you enhance the skills needed for the various training programs.
The overall goal of Big-Step is to provide greater skills to individuals striving for a career in the skilled trades. The majority of participants will be placed into higher skilled/higher paying jobs and apprenticeship occupations, once training and work experience has been achieved.
A Boilermaker is a highly skilled tradesman who erects and maintains various types of pressure vessels. These vessels include small boilers in schools and hospitals, coal fired boilers in power generation plants, blast furnaces and basic oxygen furnaces in the steel industry, precipitators and scrubbers which clean the exhaust from these furnaces and boilers, and numerous other tanks and pressurized containment vessels in industrial plants. Welding, burning, heavy and high rigging, and layout work are the most important skills a Boilermaker needs to perform his job.
A Boilermaker works primarily in plants that are considered heavy industrial. Steel mills, power generation plants for utilities (fossil fuel&nuclear), chemical plants, refineries, and paper mills are just a few of the industries that Boilermakers and their contractors service. These plants can also pose dangerous working conditions so safety training is constantly taught and reviewed by the union, the contractor, and the owner. This tripartite alliance has proved very successful in minimizing lost time accidents.
Persons interested in becoming Boilermakers need to be able to follow instructions from their foreman. You must also not be afraid of heights or be claustrophobic, and can occasionally expect to work the night shift because most maintenance in heavy industry is performed around the clock.
Applications are accepted on an ongoing yearly basis, on pre-determined dates. Length of the Apprenticeship is 4 years. Classroom work and home studies are required along with onthe-job training. Recommended high school courses are general math, geometry, mechanical drawing, and welding.
Plastering, tile laying, terrazzo and marble work and cleaning, pointing and restoration of older buildings, and of course, laying bricks--you can see the many jobs skilled bricklayers do.
Work in the bricklaying trade is a combination of both physical and mental activity. You must first develop the dexterity to use the tools and place masonry materials efficiently, with high quality workmanship. Next, you must learn to understand mathematics and its application to building materials and gain a thorough knowledge of construction blueprints.
Bricklaying, stone, cement masonry, tile work and plastering have been active construction trades for thousands of years. And that demand seems to be growing. The U.S. Department of Labor says that in the future this country will need considerably more than the 200,000 bricklayer journeymen it now has. Today brick tradesmen are at work rehabilitating older cities, constructing homes, apartments, shopping centers, schools and office buildings.
Yes, the new apprentice, for instance, moves through a planned learning program where the mastery of new skills goes hand in hand with bigger paychecks. But advancement is not only measured in dollars, it's also measured in terms of what a person is able to accomplish. By the time an apprentice becomes a journeyman, he will possess literally hundreds of complex construction skills. He might even advance as a site foreman, a contractor, or an officer of the Local Union.
It's individual motivation, more than anything else, which will determine how far a person can advance in the bricklaying trades. There are five basic qualifications you must meet to become an apprentice:
It's important to know that the bricklaying and allied crafts apprenticeship program offers equal opportunity regardless of race, color, sex, religion or nationality.
The apprenticeship program takes about three years to complete. Most of that time is devoted to on-the-job learning under the guidance of experienced journeymen.
You will also receive classroom instruction. Here you will cover such topics as blueprint reading, trade math, masonry materials, tools and equipment and trade safety practices.
When you complete the apprenticeship program you will receive a journeyman's card certifying that you are a competent professional trowel tradesman. This certification is your ticket to a job opportunity throughout the United States and Canada.
Past, present and future, the Carpenter is important and the work essential. The trade is one which requires skill, motivation, training and experience. If you enjoy using your mind as well as your hands, are creative, like the feeling of accomplishment and a job well done, a career in Carpentry may be for you.
Carpentry is the leading skilled trade in the construction industry. There are more than twice as many workers employed in Carpentry than any other construction craft. Many of these workers started their trade through apprenticeship.
The best way to become a skilled journeyman is through a formal State Approved Apprenticeship Program. In the Milwaukee area, Carpentry Apprenticeships are offered by our Committee for the following trades: CARPENTER, CABINET MAKER, FLOOR COVERER, LATHER, MILLWRIGHT, AND PILEDRIVER. Our programs are four years long, require both day and night school classes totaling over 750 hours and a minimum of over 5800 hours of on-the-job training. You will work all over the Southeastern portion of the state, therefore, transportation and a good driving record is very important.
Applications are open six times a year and are available to anyone who is a high school graduate or has passed the G.E.D. equivalency.
Our training program offers a career which includes excellent wages, pension plans, health insurance and opportunities for advancement. We are an equal opportunity employer.
Thousands of years ago the Romans mixed volcanic ash and lime to make cement. This mixture, with water, served as a binder for small stones. The mass hardened into concrete. Many Roman roads, aqueducts, and buildings made of this concrete are still standing.
Concrete today is a mixture of Portland cement, water, sand, gravel, pebbles, or crushed stones. Portland cement is a finer-than-flour gray powder of raw materials and iron. The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) sets the formula for Portland cement.
Almost every structure in the United States, from multi-story high-rise buildings to backyard storage sheds, is made wholly or partly of concrete. Every year, builders find new uses for concrete. Concrete construction ranges from small jobs such as patios, sidewalks, and steps, to huge projects such as dams, highways, airport runways, and missile launching sites.
The main work of cement masons is to finish concrete surfaces. On small projects, a cement mason with one or two helpers may do all the work. On a large project, a crew of ten to fifty cement masons and many helpers mix, place (pour), and finish concrete in structures. The work of cement masons depends on the size and the purpose of the project.
The electrical construction industry is an ever-changing field with unlimited opportunity for advancement. In order to be a Journeyman Electrician, you will need diversified training in all segments of the electrical field. The Milwaukee Area Electrical J.A.T.C. offers you the best.
Our apprenticeship training offers a five year program which combines O.J.T. (on-the-job training) with related schooling in electrical theory and construction.
The related schooling portion of our program includes a national five year curriculum and 1,100 hours-400 hours during the day for which you will be paid, studying the areas of: A/C&D/C theory, safety, conduit bending, blueprint reading, electrical code, vectors, power factor correction, 3 phase systems, motors, motor controls, electronics, troubleshooting, fire alarm systems, programmable controllers, and fiber optic cable to name a few.
The on-the-job portion of training is 8000 hours. You will be placed with a contractor and work on construction sites throughout the four county Milwaukee area. This work will cover experience in the three major areas of construction: residential (homes, duplexes, apartments), commercial (stores, offices, schools), and industrial (factory, machine shop, foundry).
During this part of the training program you will learn the mechanical intricacies of the trade and have an opportunity to apply the theory learned in the classroom work.
If this sounds interesting and you are considering application for the Construction Electrician Apprenticeship Program, please be aware that all applicants must meet the following requirements to qualify for the program:
As you can see, our schooling is very comprehensive and the on-the-job training well diversified. If accepted, you will be employed as an apprentice electrician and attend related schooling during the 5 year term of the indenture.
We offer good wages, vacation and holidays, pension plan and health plan and a chance to become a qualified Journeyman Electrician with a long-term career.
What is an elevator constructor?
The elevator constructor is a highly skilled craftsman who installs, repairs, modernizes and maintains elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, home elevators, handicap lifts and moving ramps and walks.
On construction, the elevator constructor starts with an open shaft the full height of the building. Then they completely install the elevator starting with layout drawings. This includes installation of the guard rails through the installation of the cab.
On modernization, the elevator constructor completely updates old elevator installations with new controls and equipment. The elevator constructor also maintains and troubleshoots all the equipment that has been installed.
QUALIFICATIONS: To become an elevator constructor you must be a high school graduate or have a G.E.D. You also must be in good physical condition and you must not be afraid of heights. A background in electrical and mechanical experience is helpful.
TRAINING: The elevator constructor receives on-the-job training and for further advancement is required to attend courses that are conducted by the National Elevator Industry Education Program.
Consider an apprenticeship in the skilled trade of thermal insulation application. The Southern Wisconsin Heat&Frost Insulators Joint Apprenticeship Committee is committed to the training of apprentices in the ever-changing field of energy conservation through thermal efficiency. The four year program provides classroom as well as on-the-job supervised training to ensure a well-rounded trade related training program. We have an equal opportunity apprenticeship program with a potential for excellent pay and benefits. Our twenty-eight county territory offers a wide variety of job types and locations for all our members. The building trades have provided many people in our area with quality employment and will continue to do so in the future. If college is not in your plans, it may be that a skilled trade is the career for you.
NATURE OF WORK: The work location is, for he most part, on new construction projects, but does include performance of the same work operations in existing facilities when repair, renovation, alteration and major maintenance are involved. For the most part, the work operations are performed for contractors and are of an intermittent nature, that is, on a project-to-project basis.
Most of the work operations are performed outside, under all conditions of weather, except when weather conditions jeopardize safety.
THE WORK INCLUDES: Erection of structural steel, placement of reinforcing bars in concrete construction, machinery moving, rigging and erection of equipment, installation of miscellaneous fabricated building components, welding fabrication, ornamental, aluminum, sash, brass, bronze and plastic materials, work with metal to close tolerances.
TERM OF APPRENTICESHIP: The term of apprenticeship shall be 3 years but not less than 6,000 hours of reasonable continuous employment in an approved schedule of work experience. The first 9 months shall constitute the probationary period under this indenture. Hours of labor shall be the same as established for other skilled workers in the shop. There is a minimum of 400 hours related instruction.
Applications for Iron Worker Apprenticeships are accepted by the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. You may contact the apprentice office (414) 476-9372 for information on dates of application.
SELECTION OF APPRENTICES under this program is made on the basis of qualifications alone and all applicants will be afforded equal opportunity under these standards without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, or physical handicaps (except to the extent that such physical handicaps affect the applicant's qualifications for the trade or craft.)
A Construction Craft Laborer (CCL) is part of a team, working in North Americas largest industrythe construction industry. The skills of the CCL are diverse, requiring classroom instruction and hands-on training. Because of this diversity, the CCL is often the first on the project and the last to leave. To be a good CCL requires physical strength, reading and math skills, and the ability to make decisions. The CCL needs to be able to work on his or her own and on a team to get the job done. As a CCL, what kinds of work will I do?
The kinds of work you will do depends on your knowledge and skill level, and the type of work needed at a job site. You may build and repair roads, highways, bridges, and tunnels, construct residential and commercial buildings, clean up hazardous waste sites, or perform other kinds of work. Among the tasks you may be doing are drilling and blasting site areas, building scaffolds, preparing and cleaning up a job site, laying pipe underground, placing concrete, flagging and controlling traffic on highways, and removing asbestos and lead from buildings, to name just a few.
Wisconsins CCL Apprenticeship Program requires you to be not less that 19 years of age and physically able to perform the work of the trade. Applicants will be required to take an Accuplacer test. Must have reliable transportation to job site and training.
Operating Engineers are the operators of what is generally referred to as HEAVY EQUIPMENT such as Cranes, Dozers, Scrapers, Loaders, Motor Graders, Tractor Loader Backhoes, Crawler Hows, Rollers, Pavers, Crushing, Screening and Washing Plants, Asphalt Plants, Concrete Plants and Mixers, Compressors, Pumps, and so on.
The work site for an Operating Engineer will be at construction projects such as commercial and residential developments, dams, roadways, etc. It may also be in plants that produce rock, sand&gravel, or in the clean-up of hazardous waste sites. This could mean working in isolated areas, or right downtown in a major city. It also means that reliable transportation is a must for Operating Engineers.
Maintenance and Servicing of equipment is another part of the job. Any schooling you take for engine, hydraulic and electrical repair will be to your advantage. Also, many of our machines now use computers for part of their control systems.
Working conditions are often rough and rushed and a high level of physical stamina is required. Being able to work outdoors in nice weather is one of the pluses, but many jobs must go on even under adverse conditions. The work is relatively hazardous and the equipment is noisy. Working ten hours per day, six days a week is not uncommon. There is no job protection by seniority in this trade. Job security is earned by the level of your skills.
The Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship&Training Committee has established a minimum of 6,000 on-the-job training hours and 400 Related Instruction hours for acquiring Journeyworker level skills through apprenticeship training. After successful completion of competency testing, the apprentice is considered eligible for Journeyworker status. The Apprentice wage is based on a percentage of Journeyworker pay. At the present time, the starting wage for an apprentice is 70% of the current scale which includes 10% Related Instruction pay. Pay rates will increase with completion of each period of training, until you reach Journeyworker status.
An apprentice is a worker who learns a craft through planned, supervised work on the job in conjunction with receiving planned related technical instructions. Apprentices are taught the proper use, care, and safe handling of tools and equipment used in connection with their work. Furthermore, while working on the job and acquiring an important skill, an apprentice is a regular part of the work force.
Apprentices are required to enroll in classroom instruction in subjects related to the trade to complement their on-the-job training. To complete the program, an apprentice must successfully be able to perform all work operations of a Plasterer: Two coat, Thin coat, Stucco, EIFS, and Taping drywall. Apprentices must have transportation to report to jobs within the area.
The term of the apprenticeship shall be 3 years but not less than 4,000 hours of reasonable continuous employment in an approved schedule of work experience. The first 750 hours worked shall constitute the probationary period under this indenture. Each apprentice shall be required to regularly attend a local school where such instruction related to the trade is available, for a minimum of 400 hours. This school time shall be paid for by the employer the same as being on-the-job. Starting pay for an apprentice as of January 1, 2000 is 55% of Journeyman rate, $12.39 per hour with benefits of Pension ($2.63/hr), Health & Welfare ($4.20/hr), Annuity (.50/hr), and Apprenticeship (.25/hr) for a total of $19.97.
Applications for the Plasterers Apprenticeship are accepted at the Union office from 7:45 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. Monday through Friday or by appointment. All applicants shall not be less than 18 years of age, and are required to present a high school diploma or equivalent (GED), valid drivers license, and military service records, if any, at time of application.
If you're interested in a challenging and well-paying job, in a field which offers outlets for creative and artistic abilities, consider an apprenticeship through our program.
Painters, Paperhangers and Drywall Finishers are skilled workers. Their job is to put the finishing touches on new construction and remodeling. Painters apply paints and special coatings to both inside and outside building surfaces to add color and protection against the effects of weather, dirt, smog and other influences. Paperhangers apply wall coverings such as paper, fabric and plastics to the interiors of rooms and buildings. Drywall finishers apply tape and finishes to previously hung gypsum wall board.
The protection and beautification of the exteriors and interiors of buildings and structures of all types and many other surfaces important to our everyday living is the principal activity of those working in our trade. When one realizes the number of industrial projects, commercial buildings, schools, churches, apartments and homes that must be protected by painting & decorating when new, and then repainted at regular intervals, one can easily recognize and appreciate the potential job opportunities in this industry.
To be a painter, paperhanger or taper, one must have manual dexterity as well as average strength and endurance. The work involves standing, climbing, bending, and working with the arms overhead much of the time. Thus, you should not have any physical handicap that prevents you from moving in these ways. You should have steady nerves so you can work in high places and you should not be allergic to, or bothered by paint fumes and dust. Since an important part of the work is mixing paints to attain desired colors and match samples, good eye-sight and true color sense are desirable. (Color blindness eliminates an applicant from consideration.) You also need some knowledge of arithmetic in order to estimate required material and cost. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, but not required. YOU MUST PASS A QUALIFYING APTITUDE TEST.
Painter apprentices complete 6,240 hours of on-the-job training during their four (4) year apprenticeship which includes 400 hours of related classroom instruction. Apprentices attend school 1 day a week for 3 semesters and must also complete 3 evening school courses. Apprentices begin their training at 50% of the prevailing journeyperson wage scale rate and receive increment pay step increases every 1,560 hours in the program.
Drywall taper and finisher apprentices complete 3,120 hours of on-the-job training during their two (2) year apprentice-ship which includes about 200 hours of related classroom instruction. Apprentices attend school 1 day a week for 2 semesters and must also complete 2 evening school courses. Apprentices begin their training at 50% of the prevailing journeyperson wage scale rate and receive increment pay step increases every 780 hours in the program.
The Milwaukee Area Plumbing Apprenticeship Program has been in existence for over eighty-two years, meeting the needs of the industry in Milwaukee and surrounding counties. The program is a joint labor-management effort to train skilled craftsmen for today's plumbing industry.
Plumbing is installed in homes, apartment buildings, health care facilities, commercial and industrial buildings. In order to be able to install and maintain plumbing systems for these buildings, the industry demands persons who have received specialized training in the craft.
The training is both extensive and demanding and consists of paid on-the-job training, as well as four hundred and forty hours of paid day school classes. In addition, plumbing apprentices are required to attend three hundred sixty hours of unpaid night school classes.
If you are willing to work hard, study diligently, and apply your best efforts, there is a place in the plumbing industry for you.
Roofers and waterproofers work outdoors in all kinds of weather. It's hard work, and it often means working at heights. But at the end of a hard days work, they see what they have created. Men and women who meet the challenge take pride in their work. They protect America. Roofers and waterproofers use many skills: applying hot built-up roofing; applying single-ply roofing; installing shingle, tile, and slate roofs; waterproofing foundations and plazas; lining ponds and tanks.
Top wages, as much as a college graduate or more; health insurance, vacation funds, pension; a lifetime skill; continuing education; work anywhere for any union contractor; good friends on the job.
A powerful force at the bargaining tablethrough collective bargaining, negotiates for your wages and job conditions; works to provide you with good pay and good benefits; helps with job placement; provides many services such as affordable home mortgages, low interest loans, low cost credit cards, and legal services; insists on safe working conditions on the job; provides training; offers you the friendship and support of other Union members.
A fair day's pay for a fair day's work; safe working conditions; sense of security; quality work with quality workers; many chances for advancement.
An apprentice has a good starting wage and scheduled raises; full journeyman pay when apprentice training is completed; learn on the job and in apprentice classes with skilled roofers as your teachers.
You must: be willing to work hard and learn your craft; be physically able to handle the job; be willing to work at heights in all kinds of weather; learn to work safely; and take pride in doing a quality job.
Were looking for men and women who want a rewarding and challenging career in roofing.
THE TRADE: The sheet metal trade is one of the most varied and demanding of all the skilled trades. The majority of sheet metal workers are employed in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning) industry, where they fabricate, install and maintain HVAC systems. Many other sheet metal workers are employed in specialty areas such as kitchen equipment, sign work, sheet metal decking and siding, heavy metal work and blowpipe, ornamental and decorative sheet metal, and architectural work such as copper work, rain protection systems, and skylights.
THE BENEFITS: A sheet metal worker must possess a high degree of skill and training, which translates into high wages, good benefits and steady employment.
THE TRAINING: Training is attained through participation in a five year (10,000 hour) apprenticeship training program, which consists of a combination of on the job training and related day and evening classroom instruction. As the apprentice advances through the apprenticeship program he/she receives periodic pay increases. Upon completion of the program the apprentice becomes a "journeyman" or "journeyperson" and receives the full journeyman's rate.
THE SKILLS: The apprentice will develop skills through training in subjects such as measuring, layout, fabrication, mathematics, drafting, welding, blueprint reading, heating and air-conditioning, service work, control systems, air balancing and CAD/CAM operations.
THE OPPORTUNITIES: Sheet metal work is demanding yet rewarding. Due to the varied nature of the work there are many career options available within the sheet metal trade, from field installation, shop layout, welding and service work, to drafting, estimating, and energy management. Trained sheet metal journeypersons may go on to become foremen or supervisors or maybe even run their own shop someday.
THE QUALIFICATIONS: The sheet metal industry is interested in you if you:
The Sprinklerfitters are Pipe Fitter specialists in fire protection. They install fire protection systems of all sorts. For every type of building or risk there is a fire protection system designed for that specific hazard. The job requires a person with ability to carry heavy pieces of pipe and material consisting of various lengths, sizes and shapes; also to climb and work at various heights, and to have the manual dexterity to handle the tools of the trade. The sprinklerfitter installs, repairs, and maintains all types of fixed piping fire protection systems.
The recruitment, selection, employment and training of apprentices will be without discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. Affirmative Action will be taken to provide equal opportunity in apprenticeship. The apprenticeship program will be operated as required under applicable law.
When you enter the five-year Apprenticeship Program you will go to work for a Fire Sprinkler company and begin your on-the-job training. Upon successful completion of a probationary period you will become a member of the local union and will be enrolled in the related training program.
The apprentice starts work at a percentage of the Journeyman wage. Each six months of the apprenticeship if the apprentice has made satisfactory progress both on-the-job and in the related training courses, advancement will be made to the next classification and a wage increase will occur until the apprentice reaches Journeyman pay.
A future in the refrigeration/ service and the steamfitting construction/service industry begins with Union apprenticeship training. These apprenticeships offer a structured system of classroom and on-the-job training, designed to prepare you for an occupation as a journeyman refrigeration fitter or steamfitter. Our team members install and service state-of-the-art heating, refrigeration and air conditioning equipment along with related piping and energy management computer and pneumatic control systems for residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
Our training facility has provided quality education courses for over fifty years. In addition, the United Association, the backbone of our educational system, produces excellent training materials and offer an annual instructor certification training program held at Purdue University. All of this training is necessary due to the complex scope of our industry's demand. So if you are willing to study, work and apply your best efforts, this is your opportunity to enroll today for a lifetime of benefits and the assurance and security of a quality paying trade.