Carpenter

The largest construction trade in 1996 with 996,000 workers, nearly one-third of whom were self-employed.

Although employment is expected to grow slowly, job opportunities should be excellent because high turnover rates create many job openings.

Carpenters with skills in all aspects of carpentry work the most steadily because they have the versatility to perform whatever types of jobs are available.

That's a headline that should generate some interest for students like you who are completing their high school education. And if you read the headline for this article, you shouldn't be surprised that the job opportunities are in the Building Trades (construction). That statistic is taken from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and should be considered by all graduates (yes, even those academic students).

Registered apprenticeship programs in the eyes of many industrial and commercial settings along with higher educational establishments is considered, "The other four year degree". Apprenticeship offers many opportunities for many to earn a completion certificate in the "career choice" of their liking. Apprenticeship is not just a job, it is a career. It's a place to start at the bottom of the chain of command and work your way to the top. And for many, the top is the opportunity to own your own business.

For many students, college is not an option. The cost of admission and other factors often make attendance difficult at best. The prospect of finishing a four-year degree can be daunting, especially if the student is looking for financial aid to assist with the associated expenses. The college class schedule and lost wages for missing time on the job can become the deadly one-two punch that knocks many students out of a rewarding salary and meaningful career. The thought of enrolling at a college, losing wages for time lost in training, and taking so much time from a young family can be enough to convince some that a dead-end low-skill/no-skill job is all that is available to the high school graduate.

Graduating high school is a major accomplishment that also marks the start of your adult life. Many exciting opportunities lie ahead. As your senior year races by, along with homecoming, prom and the thrill of graduation, important decisions that affect your future may, at times, be overwhelming. Don't let them. The best way to make these decisions and start the journey toward finding a career that fits your interests and abilities is to learn as much as possible about all of your options. You may want to go to college, but the cost is a challenge. Or maybe you have second thoughts and are not sure you're ready. Yet the thought of taking a low-wage job with no future that pays minimum wage is hardly appealing.

Registered apprenticeship is a formalized, structured training program combining on-the-job training and related technical instruction in which paid employees receive practical and technical training in a highly skilled occupation. Apprenticeship is industry-driven career training. Industry determines the skills that are essential to sustain a quality workforce. Apprenticeships can last from one to six years (occupation-dependent). During this time, apprentices work and learn under the direction of experienced journey workers. Over time, apprentices are provided with diverse and complex training that leads to becoming highly skilled in their chosen occupations. As they gain skill, they are compensated through an increase in wages.

With the completion of high school quickly approaching, you will be faced with many important choices. A chapter in your life will be ending, and another will be beginning. One of the most critical decisions at this point in your life will be what you choose to pursue as your career path. The traditional route for many high school graduates is to enroll in a post-secondary educational institution. This may be the most suitable choice for some, but certainly not for all. There are many careers that involve a different training path, and many factors that contribute to choosing your next step after high school graduation. What options are available? One direction that may be of interest to you is Registered Apprenticeship.

Registered Apprenticeship is the premier training model for workforce development. It is a proven method that has been used for centuries throughout the world. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, composed 4000 years ago, stated that artisans had to teach their crafts to youth. Many well-known historical figures were apprentices. Paul Revere came from a long line of apprentices. His father taught him the silversmith craft. Benjamin Franklin was indentured in 1718 as an apprentice. His brother, James, taught him the skill of printing.

Today, apprenticeship opportunities are being talked about more than ever. In fact, even the President is talking about supporting apprenticeship training through the stimulus package. By the end of this article, you, a soon to be high school graduate, may also be talking about exploring your new career through apprenticeship training. High school graduates interested in becoming apprentices have many different interests ranging from air transport pilot to pipefitter. All apprenticeships have the same components, however, which include “learning while earning.”

Apprentices are “earning” while working for 2,000 hours, which equates to full-time employment. They are “learning” during their participation in 150 hours of related classroom instruction. The lengths of programs vary by occupation, but usually range from two to five years. During this time you can go from a high school graduate to the professional designation of journeyperson, mechanic or even mentor! At the end of some apprenticeships these titles correlate with state licensure requirements associated with their respective professions.

Students, high school graduates, guidance counselors, parents, and others now have a great new way to learn more about Registered Apprenticeship and all the education and career opportunities it has to offer. The federal Office of Apprenticeship (OA), a part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, has launched a revamped version of the Registered Apprenticeship Community of Practice (CoP) that includes a dramatic new design, improved functionality and navigation, enhanced opportunities for interaction, and fresh and timely content. The CoP is a robust and interactive space for those interested in Registered Apprenticeship to learn from one another, share their experiences and successes, and improve and advance their Registered Apprenticeship efforts and activities.
The redesigned Community now offers the following new features:

Do you love literature, history, anthropology, art, writing, philosophy? Do you like to ask big questions about nature, morality, the range of ways humans can live, patterns of history, truth and beauty? If you do, you may have a future in the humanities.

Environmental Humanities students take this one step further. They love nature, and they’re convinced that small-minded thinking has resulted in many of today’s environmental problems. In response, they commit themselves to living thoughtfully and seeing the bigger picture so that they can play a responsible role in shaping the future of the planet.