Employer Facts About Aerospace Apprenticeship

Registered Aerospace Apprenticeship Programs:

An on-the-job training and talent development model

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This page will help you establish a better understanding of the costs and benefits of using a registered apprenticeship program as an occupational training system, and discuss the steps toward implementing these aerospace apprenticeship programs.

What is aerospace apprenticeship?

Aerospace apprenticeship is a structured system of on-the-job training programs designed to teach highly technical skills. It is designed to produce craft workers that are fully competent in all aspects of an occupation, including knowledge, skill and proficiency on the job. In an aerospace apprenticeship program, there is a written agreement between the apprentice and the employer or apprenticeship program sponsor, approved by and registered with the Washington Department of Labor and Industries. This agreement specifies:

Length of training
Related technical instruction
Outline of the skills of the aerospace occupation to be learned
Wages the apprentice will be paid

After successfully completing the prescribed hours of related classroom instruction and on-the-job training, the apprentice will graduate to a highly skilled journey worker.

Another benefit to both workers and agencies is that apprentices who are veterans can receive GI Bill benefits if eligible.

Registered aerospace apprenticeships - Good for Washington State

America’s workforce is aging. As the baby boomers begin to retire, they will take with them a lifetime of skills and expertise, leaving potential gaps in the labor force and a demand for younger, skilled workers. Meanwhile, to compete in a global economy, employers need employees with increasingly specialized skills, and these employees are hard to find and keep.

A growing shortage of skilled workers, coupled with increased demand, means that industry and the trades will need to work hard to attract and retain qualified candidates. Registered apprenticeships, where employees train under the direction of seasoned journey workers, are one good way that businesses can prepare for the shifting demographics of the workforce.

In contrast to previous generations, today’s workers are accustomed to holding many jobs with many companies, and are comfortable jumping from one employer to the next in search of higher wages, better benefits and more opportunities. Apprenticeships foster loyalty, provide a pathway to family wage jobs and provide employers with a significant return on investment.

Benefits

Businesses and companies that offer apprenticeship programs know that these programs make good financial sense. Here’s why:

Apprenticeship programs give a sound return on your business investment.
A recent study showed that the financial benefits of apprenticeship training programs exceed the cost for 15 different occupations. On average, for each dollar invested, private employers receive a benefit of $1.38—a net return of $0.38. (See "Return on Apprenticeship Training Investment," Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, June 2006.)

Apprenticeships put a skilled and trained workforce at your fingertips.
Apprenticeship programs ensure that you have skilled workers who are familiar with your work and production standards. You determine exactly what skills you need and design a training and educational program to foster those skills.

“Homegrown” employees are more productive.
A skilled professional worker who trained as an apprentice within your business will naturally be more productive, since he or she is already familiar with your agency’s standards and procedures. That means your employees will spend their time contributing to producing your expected results, not getting up to speed.

Apprenticeships foster loyalty.
There’s something intangible about the loyalty workers feel to an agency that values them enough to invest time and money to help them reach their career goals. Training apprentices in your agency creates skilled and experienced employees, many of whom will stay with you for the long term.

An Apprenticeship Primer

How apprenticeships work

Registered apprenticeship programs start with the formation of an apprenticeship committee made up of agency members—both managers and workers. The Committee for these programs is the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC). The AJAC develops program guidelines that include:

Criteria for becoming an aerospace apprentice
Skill and proficiency requirements to reach journey worker/professional level
Number of aerospace apprenticeship openings
Wage rates and progressions based upon demonstrated competencies
Required course curriculum to complement on-the-job training
Supervision methods
Equal opportunity procedures

Apprenticeship basics

Registered aerospace apprenticeships are made up of the following components:

Structured and supervised training

Apprenticeships provide on-the-job training under the direction of experienced journey workers (skilled workers proficient in a certain job class)
Related instruction (minimum of 144 hours each year) is provided by Washington State community and technical colleges or other educational providers.
Apprenticeships typically last from one to six years.

Laws and regulations

Registered apprenticeships are governed by federal and state laws.
Parties enter into a written agreement called an apprenticeship registration that specifies length of occupational training, related school requirements, an outline of the skills of the occupation to be learned and wages the apprentice will receive.
Apprentices earn wages during the term of their apprenticeship.
Wages are a portion of the skilled wage rate and increase throughout the occupational training program in accordance with a predetermined wage scale.

Credentials

Successful completion of a registered apprenticeship program leads to a nationally recognized certificate of completion and official journey worker status.
It is sometimes possible for the program to be designed so the apprentices receive college credit and/or a degree for their on-the-job training time in the program.

Responsibilities

Aerospace apprentices manage their time, keep work records, attend classes and progress in their apprenticeship program. Apprentices may also be required to pay for tuition or books.
Employers pay wages, oversee on-the-job training, monitor attendance at training classes and evaluate progress.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started?
How much will it cost to start an apprenticeship program in aerospace?
Are there any financial benefits?
What is my role as an aerospace apprentice employer?
What makes apprenticeship training different?
What types of occupations can be learned?
How long does an apprenticeship last?

How do I get started?

To get started, please contact the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Program at (206) 764-7940 or info@ajactraining.org
Top of Questions

How much will it cost to start an apprenticeship program in aerospace?

The primary cost to starting an apprenticeship program is time and effort. You pay no fees to Labor and Industries to register am aerospace program. If you decide to participate as a training agent partnering with an existing aerospace apprenticeship, you may be required to pay a small fee to the apprenticeship program to help cover the costs of training. This fee varies by program.
Top of Questions

Are there any financial benefits?

Yes. The financial benefits are both short term and long term.

In the short term, you save on payroll costs because you pay your apprentice lower wages than you would pay a journey level worker. As time passes and apprentices progress in their training, they earn increasingly higher wage amounts. Additionally, as a Washington State registered apprentice, your apprentice will receive a 50% tuition waiver at a Washington State community or technical college.

Quick example: One Washington city created an apprenticeship program to train an administrative assistant. They could have hired a skilled administrative assistant, but instead, they created an apprenticeship program to train one. Over two years, the city saved $14,000 in payroll costs and $840 in tuition costs, and the apprentice got a jump start on her career, and a nationally recognized credential that she can put on her resumé.

In the long term, you will benefit financially by having a better trained and more productive workforce. A recent study showed that the financial benefits of apprenticeship training programs exceed the cost for 15 different occupations. On average, for each dollar invested, employers receive a benefit of $1.38—a net return of $0.38. (See "It Pays to Hire An Apprentice," Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, June 2006.)

What is my role as an aerospace apprentice employer?

For jobs that have an established aerospace apprenticeship program, an employer is responsible for:

Overseeing on-the-job training and monitoring attendance at related training classes
Evaluating progress before recommending advancement to the next pay level
Recommending award of the certificate of completion when an apprentice has satisfactorily completed the required course work and on-the-job training

What makes apprenticeship training different?

Apprenticeship training includes paid on-site training as well as quality related technical instruction. This on-the-job training teaches the apprentice the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for the job. An apprentice is also taught unique craft skills associated with the occupation through the progression toward journey-worker status.
Top of Questions

What types of occupations can be learned?

Occupational training for a variety of positions in the aerospace industry are open for creation. If it is an occupation that you currently employ workers in, then we can potentially create the training program.
Top of Questions

How long does an apprenticeship last?

Depending upon the occupation, apprenticeship programs can last from one to five years. An additional requirement includes completing 144 hours of related technical instruction each year throughout the apprenticeship program.
Top of Questions