An apprentice is an aspiring trades professional who is registered in an approved apprenticeship program and works for an employer [a qualified Training Agent] to learn a trade. Looking back in history, an apprentice was legally bound to a master craftsman to learn a trade.
Apprenticeship is also the oldest method of training used to learn a skilled trade. Today, apprenticeships are a combination of on-the-job training (OJT) and classroom instruction (RSI – related supplemental instruction). Apprentices learn the technical skills of their trade through formal classroom training and learn the hands-on skills through supervised on-the-job training.
Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training (OJT) and classroom training (RSI – related supplemental instruction) in which an apprentice learns the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation.
A CITC apprentice is an individual who has been accepted into one of the eleven CITC apprenticeship programs and registered with the Apprenticeship Section of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. A CITC apprentice is employed by a CITC Training Agent to receive their on-the-job training (OJT) which is monitored by a CITC apprenticeship committee.
A Trainee is not registered with the Apprenticeship Section of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Trainees may attend classes at CITC as a vocational student; however, they are not employed by a CITC Training Agent to receive on-the-job training.
There are two types of trainees. Only one is an apprentice. An apprentice is a trainee who is registered in a Washington State approved apprenticeship program under RCW 49.04. Apprenticeship programs are formal training regulated by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council. If you are a trainee who is not registered with an apprenticeship program, you are not an apprentice. CITC offers 11 different apprenticeship training programs. To view a list of trades sponsored by CITC, click here.
The minimum requirements will vary depending on the trade you are applying for. To view the minimum requirements for each trade, click here.
Yes, Veteran Administration benefits are available to state registered apprentices. If you would like to learn more about the process for using your veteran’s benefits while enrolled in the apprenticeship program, please contact the CITC Apprenticeship Department at 877.428.0442.
Training Agents are employers. These employers have been approved by a sponsor of apprenticeship, like CITC, to train apprentices in accordance with a set of standards approved by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council (WSATC). Importantly, a Training Agent may only employ state-registered apprentices to perform work processes according to program standards. To their credit, a Training Agent is an employer committed to training and makes training a key element of their company’s work culture.
Yes. To supplement their on-the-job training, an apprentice must complete the number of related supplemental instruction (RSI) hours required for their trade. Such instruction may be given in a classroom, through correspondence courses, self-study, or other means of approved classroom training.
Through the Apprenticeship Agreement, an apprentice is employed by a Training Agent to receive supervised, structured on-the-job training, as well as related supplemental instruction (RSI). The instruction, usually classroom study, in a specific occupation can be held at public secondary or post-secondary schools, employer or apprenticeship sponsored schools or community colleges.
A progressively increasing wage scale is based on the average journey-level wage rate of the trade you are apprenticing. In general, these increases occur every 1000 hours of on-the–job training you receive, providing you have shown satisfactory progress in both your required classes and on-the-job training. Once you have reached the final 1,000 hours of your apprenticeship, your wage range, depending upon the trade you have chosen, will be between 85 to 90 percent of the journey-level rate.
Upon completing your apprenticeship, you will receive an Apprenticeship Completion Certificate from the Apprenticeship Section of the Department of Labor and Industries and will be recognized as a qualified journey-level worker nationwide. This certificate is one of the oldest, and most highly portable, industry credentials in use today.
A journey-level worker is a highly experienced individual who is recognized by a state or federal registration agency, and/or an industry, to be fully qualified to perform the skills of their trade. A journey-level worker has sufficient knowledge and skill of their trade received through formal apprenticeship training or practical work experience.
Yes, military veterans who are involved in Helmets to Hardhats and/or have completed military technical training specific to the trade the veteran is applying, may be given direct entry.
CITC programs are open to the public. CITC encourages diversity and accepts applications from all minority populations. CITC does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability. CITC acknowledges that information pertaining to an applicant's disability is personal and confidential. If the information is presented, CITC will reasonably attempt to provide accommodation to overcome the effects of the limitation of the qualified applicant. All inquiries about accommodations should be made to the Lead Office Administrator/Registrar upon registration into the program. Some programs may require medical documentation due to the rigors of the program. CITC operates under FERPA Statute 20 USC Section 1232 and regulation 34 CFR Part 99.
