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Energy Apprenticeship Programs

An apprenticeship is a good way to start a rewarding career in a skilled craft or trade. You can earn a salary while gaining marketable skills.

Many of the careers in energy can be learned through an apprenticeship program. Examples are electricians, electrical power-line installers and repairers, and power plant operators. Energy businesses partner with credentialing and licensing agencies to make sure the apprenticeship programs include the training and instruction needed to meet industry requirements.

What Is an Apprenticeship Program Like?

  • Program length: Programs range from one to six calendar years; four is the average.
  • Pay: Apprentice pay usually starts at about half the rate for journey-level workers. ("Journey-level worker" is someone who has completed their apprenticeship and all other requirements to enter the trade.) After six months, your pay begins to increase, and eventually it reaches the journey level. Apprentice wages are never less than the federal minimum wage.
  • Course work: For every year of on-the-job training, you are required to have 144 hours of classroom instruction. That means most apprentices spend one evening each week taking a three-hour class. Classes are usually taught by a journey-level worker. Classes are often held at night at community colleges, technical schools, or online.
  • Sponsors: Apprenticeship programs are often sponsored by labor unions and employers. Sponsors plan, administer, and pay for the program. As an apprentice, you are a full-time, paid employee of the company where you work.
  • Credit for past experience: If you have previous related experience, you may be granted advanced placement in an apprenticeship program. Your pay could also be higher because of your experience.
  • Credit toward an associate degree: Some two-year schools offer college credit – "credit for experience" – in apprentice occupations. For more information, contact your local technical college, community college, or university.
  • Certificate of completion: When you finish your training, you receive a Certificate of Completion from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Apprenticeship Unit . With these credentials, you qualify to earn journeyworker wages anywhere you are employed throughout the United States and Canada.

    Registered apprenticeship programs with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry are WIA certified. If you are eligible for WIA funding, this will make you more attractive to potential apprenticeship employers. Companies receive financial support when they hire apprentices who are eligible for WIA funding.

How Do I Find a Registered Apprenticeship in Energy?

Details about all energy-related registered apprenticeships in the state of Minnesota are available through the list of energy apprenticeships. Use this information to find future openings for apprenticeships that may interest you.