Vocations · Job Skills

Show up to the trades
ready on day one.

Apprenticeships in the building trades pay you to learn, and the good ones fill fast. Programs look for the same things: age and a diploma, algebra, an aptitude test, safety training and proof you show up. Check yourself against the list for the trade you want and see what to work on first.

Start with a tradeWhat you get

Your trades

The worked example is made up: a 19-year-old applying to an electrical program with the aptitude test scheduled, and a 17-year-old planning for carpentry. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Vocations · Job SkillsFree

What you finish with
A record per trade: age, diploma or GED, algebra, driver’s license, the aptitude test, each program with its deadline and status, and twelve skills and readiness items. Counts items ready and days to the next deadline; flags the usual age and diploma requirements, algebra and the aptitude test for electrical, transportation and programs close to their deadline.
Who it is for
High school students, recent graduates and adults changing careers who want an apprenticeship in a building or industrial trade.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per trade. Prints one trade’s checklist, every trade in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Job Skills space in Caveat Vocations.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Pick the trade and fill in the entry requirements.
  2. List the programs and their deadlines.
  3. Mark each skill ready or not yet.
  4. Work on the gaps, math first.
  5. Apply before each deadline, with your references.

Start with a trade

Three stages

Pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, journeyworkerPre-apprenticeshipWeeks to monthsMath, tools, safety,OSHA 10Helps you get accepted;often freeApprenticeshipUsually 3 to 5 yearsPaid work plus classesPay rises as youprogressJourneyworkerA nationally recognizedcredentialA state license in sometradesFull pay; can trainapprenticesThree stages of a trade careerPre-apprenticeshipWeeks to monthsMath, tools, safety, OSHA 10Helps you get accepted; often freeApprenticeshipUsually 3 to 5 yearsPaid work plus classesPay rises as you progressJourneyworkerA nationally recognized credentialA state license in some tradesFull pay; can train apprentices
Programs differ by trade and by sponsor, union or merit shop. Apprenticeship.gov lists registered programs near you.

The math that matters

Trades math is mostly fractions, decimals, measurement and a little algebra: reading 5/8 inch on a tape, converting it to 0.625, working out a stair rise or a pipe offset. Twenty minutes a day for a month moves a score.

Union or merit shop

Joint apprenticeship programs run by unions and contractors, and programs run by merit-shop contractor associations, both lead to recognized credentials. Apply to both kinds if you can; deadlines and tests differ.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeship.gov: find an apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship (apprenticeship.gov).
  2. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Outreach Training Program: 10-hour construction (osha.gov).
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC technicians, welders (bls.gov/ooh).
  4. North America’s Building Trades Unions. Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (nabtu.org).

The worked examples are made up. Requirements differ by program, trade and state; each program’s own application lists them. This page is a checklist and is not affiliated with any program. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.