Whether you started your career education in high school or not, many construction companies offer apprenticeship programs where you can earn money while you learn a craft. At this point, you would be a craft helper or apprentice. Another track is the post-secondary education route, going full-time to a local community college to get your academics over with and then getting hired by a company. You can fulfill the hands-on learning hours that are often required to be able to sit for a journeyman’s license test. For example, in the State of Nebraska, electricians are licensed, and carpenters are not.
Because many people struggle with how to pay for the post-secondary education route the option to go through an apprentice program while working for a company, they find this a preferred route to becoming a craft professional. We call it the “earn while you learn” option. Others choose this route simply because they want to go to work immediately after high school and do not desire to spend two more years in the classroom. Companies typically pay the tuition for the apprentice as long as you make satisfactory grades. You are responsible for buying your books.
When you compare the two routes for becoming a craft professional (education cost and earnings over the four-year apprenticeship period) for an electrician, the apprenticeship route in comparison to the post-secondary, the apprenticeship route results in twice as much earnings going into the pocket of the apprentice. If you want to become an apprentice of an ABC - Nebraska South Dakota Chapter member, we can put you in touch with the right people to make this happen!