Pipeline to Careers
Apprenticeship programs and career ladders mean middle-class jobs for students.
PSAs provide career opportunities for our students by setting goals for the amount of apprentice hours used on projects and by increasing demand for apprentices. Apprenticeship programs provide both classroom and on-the-job training to prepare students for middle class jobs with good wages and benefits. For women and minorities, graduating from an apprenticeship program greatly increases the likelihood of having health insurance and pensions.
Union apprenticeship programs cover all crafts and are more numerous (177) than non-union programs (40) in the state. Furthermore, union apprenticeship programs graduate 92% of all the apprentices in California and 95% of all women and 92% of all minorities.
| Number of State-Approved Apprenticeship Programs | Number of Graduates (Individuals) 2002 – 2007 | |||
| Committee Craft | Union | Non-Union | Union | Non-Union |
| Asbestos Workers | 2 | No Program | 186 | No Program |
| Boilermakers | 1 | No Program | 62 | No Program |
| Bricklayers | 3 | 2 | 110 | 16 |
| Carpentry | 25 | 3 | 4,449 | 337 |
| Carpet, Linoleum & Soft Tile | 2 | 1 | 330 | 2 |
| Cement Masons | 3 | No Program | 520 | No Program |
| Drywall/Lather | 9 | 2 | 1,904 | 0 |
| Electrical & Electronic | 29 | 9 | 4,362 | 1,110 |
| Elevator | 2 | No Program | 617 | No Program |
| Engineer | 4 | 3 | 2,026 | 13 |
| Glazier & Glass Workers | 6 | No Program | 437 | No Program |
| Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning | 8 | 2 | 532 | 246 |
| Iron & Steel Workers | 8 | No Program | 2,116 | No Program |
| Laborers | 8 | 2 | 1,540 | 56 |
| Linemen | 1 | 2 | 324 | 37 |
| Millwright | 2 | No Program | 185 | No Program |
| Painting & Decorating | 5 | 4 | 1,033 | 66 |
| Plasterers | 4 | No Program | 294 | No Program |
| Plumbing | 29 | 6 | 2,769 | 306 |
| Roofers | 7 | 2 | 618 | 115 |
| Sheet Metal | 9 | 2 | 1,654 | 114 |
| Surveyor | 2 | No Program | 482 | No Program |
| Tile Layer/Setter | 8 | No Program | 976 | No Program |
| Total | 177 | 40 | 27,526 | 2,418 |
| Percentage | 82% | 18% | 92% | 8% |
