How Apprenticeships Can Launch You Into a Long-Term Career

An apprenticeship isn’t just a job. It's not just school, either. Apprenticeship is a career launchpad.

While your friends might bounce between entry-level positions or rack up student debt, you’ll be earning, learning, and setting yourself up for a career that can last decades.

From Applicant to Apprentice

Here's the thing about apprenticeships. They were designed to solve the "no experience" problem many job seekers have. In many apprenticeships, you can start day 1 with no experience whatsoever. It is expected that learning happens on-the-job so you're not dealing with that dreaded gap for some job seekers where they need just that first bit of experience to get their career going. Now, that's not to say this is a universal truth. Many employer-run apprenticeships want to see some commitment from applicants before they're an apprentice. You may work for a company for 6 months or a year before becoming an apprentice as a demonstration of commitment on all sides. But it's generally expected that apprenticeships are the start of your career. From there, you'll get paid according to your wage schedule and start earning more as you accrue experience.

From Apprentice to Journeyman

Now, how does that launch continue? When you finish your apprenticeship, you usually earn journeyman status or an equivalent credential. You have an apprenticeship certificate, potentially a state license, and/or a series of industry credentials and certifications. In addition, you'll now start being paid above the apprenticeship wage scale at full-level journey wage. In addition to higher pay, you'll find more independence with your current employer as you'll not have the same direct supervision you did as an apprentice. Of course, with that, you'll also have more responsibility. It's very likely you'll now be overseeing apprentices! Finally, with your completed apprenticeship, you'll have a different floor to your career mobility. You'll have independently verified skills and certifications, and while apprentices are a loyal bunch, you'll be employable almost anywhere in the country in your trade.

Beyond Journeyman: The Career Ladder

Here’s where apprenticeships really shine: they don’t just teach you a skill, they open doors to advancement. Graduates go on to do all kinds of things in the industry such as:

• Foreman or supervisor roles – Leading crews on projects

• Estimator or project manager positions – Handling logistics and budgets

• Business ownership – Starting your own contracting company

• Mentor or instructor roles – Training the next generation of apprentices

This is true of almost any industry apprenticeship, too. It's also one of the things many people get wrong about apprenticeships from the outside. Apprenticeship isn't a terminal step where you're now stuck in your journey role forever. It's a foundation of competence and professionalism for your career. Where you go from there is up to you, but leadership, business ownership, and mentorship are all on the table.

Why Apprenticeship Experience Matters

Employers value apprenticeships because they know you're well rounded, can commit to a process, and can balance a variety of responsibilities all at once. Apprentices learn on-the-job so they know you can handle real-world challenges. Best practices are emphasized from the start so they know you can work safely and efficiently. And, since you're also taking classes, they know you can combine more theoretical, technical knowledge with hands-on implementation.

It’s a stamp of credibility you can’t get from a short-term job or an unpaid internship.

Real-Life Example

Want an example of what this might look like in practice? Here's what we mean:

• Year 1: You start at $18/hour as an apprentice welder

• Year 4: You graduate, making $38/hour as a journeyman

• Year 6: You’re supervising a crew or taking side jobs on weekends

• Year 10: You could own your own business or be teaching at a trade school

This all comes - by the way - without the $50k+ in debt that comes with a four-year degree.