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Apprenticeships: Earning While You Learn

  • Grades 9-12
  • Life Skills & Career Paths
  • CTE:CC-9
  • Trades & Apprenticeships
  • Free lesson

Aligned to CTE:CC-9 — Jump$tart National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education & Advance CTE Career Clusters.

What this lesson teaches

A registered apprenticeship is a paid job that includes structured training and classroom hours, ending in a recognized credential. You start at a percentage of the journeyworker wage and step up as you complete hours. You finish with skills, a credential, years of experience, and no tuition debt.

Worked examples

Example 1

A 4-year electrical apprenticeship might start near 45% of journeyworker wage and step up every six months, so the final year pays close to full scale while you are still training.

Example 2

Apprenticeships come through unions, contractor associations, and individual employers. Apprenticeship.gov and your state's labor department list registered programs.

Example 3

Entry is competitive. Programs look at math placement, attendance, a driver's license and a clean drug test — which is why the preparation starts in high school, not after.

Practice questions

  1. Explain how an apprentice's pay changes over the program.
  2. Name two places to find a registered apprenticeship.
  3. List three things you could do before graduating to be a strong applicant.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

▶ Watch this lesson

En español

Aprendizajes: ganar mientras aprendes

Un aprendizaje registrado es un empleo pagado que incluye formación estructurada y horas de aula, y termina en una credencial reconocida. Empiezas con un porcentaje del salario de oficial y subes conforme completas horas. Terminas con habilidades, una credencial, años de experiencia y sin deuda de colegiatura.

Ejemplo 1: Un aprendizaje eléctrico de 4 años puede empezar cerca del 45% del salario de oficial y subir cada seis meses, de modo que el último año paga casi la escala completa mientras todavía te formas.

Ejemplo 2: Los aprendizajes llegan por sindicatos, asociaciones de contratistas y empleadores individuales. Apprenticeship.gov y el departamento de trabajo de tu estado listan los programas registrados.

Ejemplo 3: La entrada es competida. Los programas revisan tu nivel de matemáticas, la asistencia, la licencia de manejo y un examen antidoping limpio — por eso la preparación empieza en la prepa, no después.

More Trades & Apprenticeships lessons

Licensing and Certification: What It Takes to Be LegalCTE:CC-10Working for Yourself in a TradeCTE:CC-11License, Certification, or Registration — Know Which One You NeedCTE:CT-4The Registered Apprenticeship: Paid From Day OneCTE:CT-5Electrician: The Code, the Hours, and the Open-Book ExamCTE:CT-6Plumber: Supply, Drain, Vent — and Eight Thousand HoursCTE:CT-7

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