Purpose of the Apprenticeship Program
The purpose of the apprenticeship program is
to develop a qualified, versatile and safe
work force. A skilled work force
creates profit for the worker and the
contractor. Owners of projects expect
contractors to produce a quality project at
a competitive price. Contractors must
have skilled, safe workers to be
competitive. Apprenticeship will give
you a combination of on the job experience
and off the job training to help you become
a valued construction team member and a
qualified union laborer.
The Construction Craft Laborer
Apprenticeship program consists of 6,000
hours of on the job experience and a minimum of
480 hours off the job related training in Washington (4,000 hours / 320 hours for Utah) before
being promoted to Journeyperson. Wages
begin between 60% and 80% of Journeyperson scale
and may increase between 5% and 10% each 1000
hours of work completed if all of the program
requirements are met.
Training for apprentices registered with a Local
union hall is free including free room and board
while attending courses at our various site
locations.
Training
Depending on the availability of work and on
local training schedules, it can take an
individual from 2 to 4 years to complete the
apprenticeship. A core curriculum consisting of
basic construction skills such as blueprint
reading, the correct use of tools and equipment,
and knowledge of safety and health procedures
comprises the first 200 hours. The remainder of
the curriculum consists of specialized skills
training in three of the largest segments of the
construction industry: building construction,
heavy/highway construction, and environmental
remediation (cleaning up debris, landscaping,
and restoring the environment to its original
state).
Workers who use dangerous
equipment or handle toxic chemicals usually
receive specialized training in safety awareness
and procedures. Apprentices must complete a
minimum 144 hours of classroom work each year.
What will my first class be like?
The pre-construction training course is a highly
structured 40 hour course. This course is
designed to teach basic tools and material
recognition, traffic control and a group of
common tasks that laborers perform on
construction projects. You will be
expected to perform these tasks correctly and
timely by the end of the week.
This initial course is a
physically demanding experience. In fact
the whole Construction Craft Laborer field is a
physically demanding job. This initial
course will introduce you to some of the basics. You will continue on with further training after
successfully completing this initial course.
APPLYING FOR THE PROGRAM
The
selection process for new
apprentices is based on past
education and work history.
Part of the selection process is a
one-week pre-construction training
course. During this week your
ability to physically do the work
will be evaluated. This course
is used to teach basic skills,
safety procedures, tool and material
recognition, and traffic control.
To apply
you must be 18 years of age (under 18? Check out the
Curlew Job
Corps or Wolf Creek
Program), have at least a 10th grade
education and have a valid driver's
license. You must also take and pass a drug
test.
Applications are accepted
throughout the year. Interviews are held on a regular
schedule at various locations.
At the time of interview, applicants
are expected to have proof of all
items required on the application. Apprentices are taken into the
program on a year-round basis
depending on the need for new people
in the various areas.
To find a location near you, please
click on the "Apprenticeship Contact"
link for phone numbers.
Or you may
contact a Laborers' local union hall for an
application.
Phone numbers to local Union Halls.
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JOBS
OF A CONSTRUCTION CRAFT LABORER
Construction laborers need good
manual dexterity, hand-eye
coordination, and balance. They also
need the ability to read and
comprehend all warning signs and
labels on a construction site and
reading skills sufficient to
understand and interpret plans,
drawings, and written instructions
and specifications. They should be
capable of working as a member of a
team and have basic problem-solving
and math skills. Employers want
workers who are hard-working,
reliable, and diligent about being
on time. Additionally, construction
laborers who wish to work in
environmental remediation must pass
a physical test that measures the
ability to wear protective equipment
such as respirators. Computer skills
also are important as construction
becomes increasingly mechanized and
computerized.
Construction laborers clean and
prepare construction sites to
eliminate possible hazards, dig
trenches, mix and place concrete,
and set braces to support the sides
of excavations. They load, unload,
identify, and distribute building
materials to the appropriate
location according to project plans
and specifications on building
construction projects. They also
tend machines; for example, they may
mix concrete using a portable mixer
or tend a machine that pumps
concrete, grout, cement, sand,
plaster, or stucco through a spray
gun for application to ceilings and
walls. Construction laborers often
help other craft workers, including
carpenters, plasterers, operating
engineers, and masons.
At
heavy and highway construction
sites, construction laborers clear
and prepare highway work zones and
rights of way; install traffic
barricades, cones, and markers; and
control traffic passing near, in,
and around work zones. They also
install sewer, water, and storm
drain pipes, and place concrete and
asphalt on roads.
At
hazardous waste removal sites,
construction laborers prepare the
site and safely remove asbestos,
lead, radioactive waste, and other
hazardous materials. They operate,
read, and maintain air monitoring
and other sampling devices in
confined and/or hazardous
environments. They also safely
sample, identify, handle, pack, and
transport hazardous and/or
radioactive materials and clean and
decontaminate equipment, buildings,
and enclosed structures. Other
highly specialized tasks include
operating laser guidance equipment
to place pipes, operating air,
electric, and pneumatic drills, and
transporting and setting explosives
for tunnel, shaft, and road
construction.
A Construction Craft Laborer takes
pride in the fact that they have a
hand in every structure built in
this country - below ground as well
as above. They are one of the first
crafts on the job and the last craft
to leave the job. |
Construction
laborers operate a variety of
equipment including pavement
breakers, jackhammers, earth
tampers, concrete, mortar, and
plaster mixers, electric and
hydraulic boring machines, torches,
small mechanical hoists, laser beam
equipment, and surveying and
measuring equipment. They may use
computers and other high-tech input
devices to control robotic pipe
cutters and cleaners. To perform
their jobs effectively, construction
laborers must be familiar with the
duties of other craft workers and
with the materials, tools, and
machinery they use. Construction
laborers often work as part of a
team with other skilled craft
workers, jointly carrying out
assigned construction tasks. At
other times, construction laborers
may work alone, reading and
interpreting instructions, plans,
and specifications with little or no
supervision.
While
most construction laborers tend to
specialize in a type of
construction, such as highway or
tunnel construction, they are
generalists who perform many
different tasks during all stages of
construction. However, construction
laborers who work in underground
construction (such as in tunnels) or
in demolition are more likely to
specialize in only those areas.