Registered Apprenticeship Program

• Alabama does not have its own apprenticeship regulations, according to Business & Legal Resources, a compliance information company. The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship (USDOL/OA) governs apprenticeships in Alabama through its Registered Apprenticeship program, which approves and registers apprenticeships sponsored by employers and trade organizations. The USDOL/OA has a regional office in Alabama (no website; Medical Forum Building, Room 648, 950 22nd Street North, Birmingham; 205-731-1308). The Alabama State Office of Apprenticeship is a source of information about USDOL/OA approved apprenticeship programs in the state.
  
  

Types of Apprenticeships

• There are hundreds of career opportunities in trades that follow the apprenticeship and journeyman training traditions. Occupations related to the construction industry may be the most widely associated apprenticeable occupations. While this will vary by community, apprenticeship programs are also available in career fields such as culinary services, barbering and cosmetology.
  
  

Apprentice Eligibility Requirements

• Generally, applicants are considered at ages as young as 16, but most apprenticeship program require that applicants be 18 years old -- especially for hazardous occupations. Additional qualifications may include physical fitness requirements for labor-intensive trades. Some employer sponsors prefer apprentices with backgrounds in math, particularly for the more technical trades.
  
  

Construction

• The Construction Education Foundation of Alabama (CEFA), headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, was founded by the construction industry as a tool to sponsor apprenticeships in a variety of construction crafts. CEFA construction industry apprenticeships are available in both industrial and commercial construction. Specialty areas include occupations such as architectural drafters, brick masons, carpenters, crane and tower operators, pipe fitters, steamfitters and plumbers -- just to name a few.
  
  

Electrical

• The Birmingham Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (BEJATC) is a joint partnership between the National Electrical Contractors Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The BEJATC sponsors apprenticeship training for men and women in the electrical and telecommunications industry. Individuals with little or no electrical or electronics knowledge or experience are provided in-class theoretical instruction, lab work exercises and on-the-job training.
  
  

Plumbing and Steamfitters

• The United Association of Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 52, headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, sponsors apprenticeship training for plumbers and steamfitters. The organization has an Apprenticeship Training School, approved by the USDOL/OA, where apprentices attend 40 hours of training during the summer over a five-year period. Certification is available in a variety of trade processes, such as plumbing, pipe fitting, welding and valve repair.