Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship programs are found in many industries, e.g., agriculture, construction, education, energy, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, information technology, manufacturing, telecommunications, transportation, etc. They all have one thing in common: Apprentices earn while they learn!
Historically, apprenticeship is rooted in the construction building trades, where workers quickly realize that the building of a home, office building, or hospital requires equal use of the mind and body, especially in today’s technology driven world.
No matter the industry, when a worker gains technical knowledge and then applies that knowledge on the job, the depth of learning is deep and resilient because the worker was able to apply what was learned in a meaningful way.
Nuts and Bolts of Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is an agreement between an employee and their employer. The employee agrees to work and learn over a 3-to-5-year period while also earning an escalating wage, which the employer has agreed to pay. The employer can pay more than the agreed wage, but not less. Apprentices are paid while they work, also known as on-the-job-training (OJT). However, time spent by the employee when training off the job is usually not paid by the employer and occurs before or after the employee’s regular work shift. At the discretion of the employers’, they can give apprentices credit for class learning hours if the apprentice has demonstrated competency in the course objectives.
There are 2 types of apprenticeships, registered and non-registered: 1) Registered apprentices work within the rules established by an agreement that has been registered with the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS). These apprentices receive free tuition for courses offered at all California Community Colleges; 2) non-registered apprentices work within an employer-crafted offering, agreement, or benefit that is not registered with DAS. These apprentices do not receive free tuition at California Community Colleges, but community college tuition costs are often paid by the employer.
In either case, when apprenticeship leads to gainful employment, SCCCD supports the employer and employee in their effort!
Below is an example of what an apprentice’s OJT and learning hours might look like:
Maintenance Mechanic Apprenticeship Wage and Learning Schedule: OJT + Class Learning Hours (Example)
| Year | Hours of OJT | Wage | Education | Min. Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 2,000 | $20 | 1) Safety; 2) Industry Math | 144 |
| Year 2 | 2,000 | $21 | 1) Electricity; 2) Machine Shop 1 | 144 |
| Year 3 | 2,000 | $22 | 1) Programmable Controllers; 2) Hydraulics | 144 |
| Year 4 | 2,000 | $23 | 1) Variable Frequency Drives; 2) Welding | 144 |
Total 8,000 OJT Hours with a Total Minimum Education Hours of 576 Hours
When the Apprentice Becomes a Journeyperson
Apprentices graduate to a journeyperson status when all OJT and educational/competency training is complete. Registered apprentices receive a Certificate of Apprenticeship Completion from DAS. Non-registered apprentices are often recognized by their employer too.
A journeyperson in the building or construction trades who works in publicly funded construction projects will be paid according to a prevailing wage, which is published by the California Department of Industrial relations. In other registered apprenticeship programs, an employer may subscribe to a union that has negotiated journeyperson wages for the graduating apprentice.
Graduates from non-registered apprenticeship programs may be offered a journeyperson wage and/or benefit that has been developed by the employer, or an employer may choose to negotiate higher wages and/or benefits with a new journeyperson on an individual basis.
SCCCD’s Apprenticeship Role
We serve as the Lead Education Agency (LEA) for DAS registered apprenticeship programs in many occupations, e.g., maintenance mechanic, mold maker, automotive mechanic, truck mechanic, etc. In our role as LEA, we enroll registered apprentices in their required courses, advise the employer and the apprentice, and track each apprenticeship journey.
Extreme Apprenticeship
Apprentices can take it one step further and work with campus General Counseling to earn a certificate of achievement at SCCCD and/or work towards earning their associates degree while also taking their apprenticeship courses. These apprentices earn their certificate from their apprenticeship program while also graduating with a certificate of achievement and/or an associates degree from SCCCD, which means they are already positioning themselves for a supervisory position!
For more information contact:
Nickolas Trujillo
Interim District Dean
Educational Services
nickolas.trujillo@scccd.edu
(559)243-7511
Randi Jensen
(she/her)
Program Assistant
Apprenticeship, Career Technical Education
randi.jensen@scccd.edu
Call: (559)243-7266
Text: (559)894-4895
