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Apprenticeship Trades

The Apprenticeship Trades consist of a set of educational on-site training programs, each one with its own requirements and applications, as a way for young adults to acquire experience and skills in a certain area of interest and thus, be more competitive and expand the work history. The State of Oregon, under the regulation of its Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) and the Oregon State Apprenticeship and Training Council (OSATC), has developed this initiative to provide a space entirely dedicated for learning and job growth with government, labor, business, and educative institutions.

List of Apprenticeship Trades

How to apply for an Apprenticeship Trade in Oregon?

Certain basic requirements must be met before applying for an apprentice trade; each apprenticeship program has its own characteristics and specifications, below you will find the qualifications adopted by most of them:

Basic requirements for Oregon apprentice aspirants:

  • Be at least 18 years of age.
    If you are younger and/or wish to gain experience click here.
  • Have a High School or General Educational Development (GED) diploma.
    Not all programs require it, so make sure to review the requirements in detail.
  • Possess certain physical skills depending on the type of work to be carried out.
  • Have no issue with transportation to local or out-of-town areas and job sites.

Other relevant aspects for Oregon apprentice aspirants:

  • Have previous experience with physical and volunteer work, as well as punctuality and a consistent work history, these are all taken into account during the application process.
  • Do not worry about a criminal record being a work impediment, employers in the construction industry do not see it as a drawback.
  • Remember that a college degree is not mandatory, and even in some cases the trade program offers an associate's degree to the apprentice.
  • Note that a trade program may require a certain math level and knowledge.
    This rarely happens and most of the trades focus on training the apprentices by teaching them everything they need to know about the field.

Application process for Oregon apprentice aspirants:

  1. Choose the type of job or trade program of your interest from the ones listed here.
  2. Read the information about the program thoroughly, especially the Standards Of Apprenticeship PDF document established by the desired program.
    You can then communicate with the program staff, either by email or phone call, to solve any questions you might have related to the process. Make sure to ask if they are currently accepting applications and the steps you should follow.
  3. Submit your application, present the interview and take the corresponding exams if required. After the interview, programs usually give a percentage or score that will place you in a specific position in the Pool of Eligibles list with other not-yet apprentices applicants.
    This list might vary and change as time goes on, which will determine whether you will be moved onto the Out of Work Apprentices list, meaning you were labeled as ready to work. Once you have been moved to the Out of Work list (and depending on the type of trade you applied for), you will be able to find a job or be referred to a job by the program.
  4. Get ready to go to work and attend training classes (during the evenings or on weekends) offered by your apprenticeship program. Like this, day by day, you will learn, improve your skills, earn money and become a competent and competitive journey worker in the future.

List of informative apprenticeship trades links

Important contact information for Oregon apprentice aspirants

Bureau of Labor & Industries website
Address: 800 NE Oregon St., Suite 1045 Portland, OR 97232
Office hours: Mon. - Fri., 08:00 am - 05:00 pm
Email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone address: 971-245-3844
Phone address: 971-673-0760

Oregon Apprenticeship website
Address: 800 NE Oregon St., Suite 1045 Portland, OR 97232
Email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone number: 971-673-0761