• Comparative costs

Apprenticeship vs. 4 years of college

This college tuition is based on an average of 26 Virginia colleges each having four year programs.

Projections are based on the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)

Year	Term	Apprenticeship	College Tuition
1st	2017	–0–	$ 29,619
2nd	2018	–0–	$ 30,389
3rd	2019	–0–	$ 31,179
4th	2020	–0–	$ 31,989
Completion	Totals	–0–	$ 123, 176

With college you have paid thousands of dollars to earn a degree preparing for a vocation, after graduation you still have to look for and hopefully find a job. Unlike college, you do not have to look for a job upon apprenticeship completion, you already have a job.

After college you may be in debt with a student loan to pay off. Upon apprenticeship completion you are debt free of schooling and educational training.

• The Skilled Construction Trades

The skilled trades consists of journey persons and apprentices whose vocations work together as a team building commercial and industrial establishments such as schools, hospitals, warehouses, high-rise buildings, power generating stations, chemical plants, textile mills, paper mills, cigarette plants, bakeries, breweries, oil refineries, etc.

• Skilled

The word “skilled” has two similar definitions. The first refers to a person being described as skilled, showing a skill or being an expert.

The second refers to a job being skilled, meaning that to accomplish the job the worker must have the appropriate skill or training. Skilled labor then is work that must be accomplished by a person with the proper skill or set of skills. Craft persons attain these skills through apprenticeship.

• The Sponsors

Several of the sponsors listed herein are located outside the Richmond area. These sponsors, however, offer apprenticeship opportunities in the Richmond and vicinity area.

Walk-ins are not suggested as the sponsor representatives often have duties outside their offices. It is highly recommended to telephone and make an appointment if you desire to visit in person.

On the following pages (TC) denotes that the sponsor has its own individual training center, some of which resemble small construction sites.