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The first step in being eligible to become an Apprentice is securing employment with a signatory contractor. To start the application process, click here.
It is possible to get awarded an apprenticeship immediately upon hire, but it is most common to be hired in an entry level role; this is done to determine apprenticeship readiness before awarding an apprenticeship.
Metal Trades:
Beginning employment as a Metal Trades Trainee allows you to assist Apprentices and Journeyworkers in a shop environment under direct supervision. Most often, Metal Trades Trainees become Fabricator Apprentices. Occasionally, Metal Trades employees may work on construction jobsites and become HVAC/R Service, Plumbing, or Steamfitting Apprentices. Metal Trades employees are members of Local 400, so unpaid related night school classes are available for you to schedule and complete.
Duties may include, but are not limited to: unloading, handling, placing of piping, valves, fittings, etc. into stockpiles or bins, which will be fabricated into assemblies or formations; loading, unloading, moving, organizing, and delivering materials and/or tools in a fabrication shop; operating of cranes, fork lifts/tow motors, trucks and other shop handling equipment (safety certification needed); refacing of flanges on a drill press, lathe or boring mill; cutting, beveling, threading, bending and welding of pipe; grinding, cleaning, blasting, painting, marking of pipe; plugging ends, disassembling/assembling and protecting valves, piping, etc.
Pre-Apprenticeship:
An entry-level Pre-Apprentice position in the HVAC/R Service, Plumbing, or Steamfitting trades allows you to assist Apprentices and Journeyworkers on construction jobsites under direct supervision. This allows you to witness the day-to-day operations on the construction site and determine if this is the right career for you before you commit to signing the state contract for an apprenticeship. Pre-Apprentices are not members of Local 400; you become a member when you are awarded an Apprenticeship.
Duties may include, but are not limited to: loading, unloading, moving, organizing, and delivering materials and/or tools on a construction site and/or in a fabrication shop; housekeeping; building and taking down scaffold; core drilling; busting concrete; drilling holes to install anchors; putting up hangers/supports; digging ditches for underground plumbing; assisting in demolition of mechanical systems, etc.
Veteran’s in Piping Program:
The VIP program is only available to qualified U.S. Military Veterans interested in a career in the Pipe Trades; to qualify, you must have served in the U.S. Military and been Honorably Discharged from the National Guard, Armed Forces Reserve or Active Duty. The Program is 18 weeks. The first six weeks is job-related classroom training at various other local unions around the state; during this time, you will be training for 40 hours each week, Monday through Thursday for 10 hours each day (4-10 schedule). After the six-week classroom training, you are hired in an entry-level Pre-Apprentice or Metal Trades position for the remaining 12-weeks. The goal is to be awarded an Apprenticeship when the Program is complete.
Youth Apprenticeship Program:
This Program allows students to explore a career in the Pipe Trades as a part of the student’s regular high school schedule or for regular seasonal (summer) employment. This work-based learning allows students to experience first-hand career awareness, career exploration, and career preparation to create a pipeline for becoming a Registered Apprentice after high school graduation. Click here for the complete Program description.
After securing entry-level employment, you should contact the Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) Office or go on their website to receive an Apprenticeship Application. You’ll be required to complete the Application Packet; to accompany your completed Apprenticeship Packet, you’ll also need to provide a copy of your birth certificate, a copy of your high school diploma or high school equivalency transcripts/test results, a copy of your valid driver’s license, a copy of your military transfer or discharge form (DD-214 if applicable), and a copy of your successful completion of the Accuplacer test or ACT test per established guidelines.
MCA Office
3315 North Ballard Road Suite D Appleton, WI 54911-8988
920-734-3148 (Local)
877-625-8304 (Toll Free)
