Q. What Approved Apprentice Occupations Does ABC Golden Gate Chapter Train?

• Electrical : Approximately 5 years, 8000 hours On-The-Job training, and a minimum of 160 hours classroom instruction per year 

• Carpentry : Approximately 4 years, 4800 hours On-The-Job training, and a minimum of 144 hours classroom instruction per year

• Plumbing : Approximately 4 years, 7200 hours On-The-Job training, and a minimum of 200 hours classroom instruction per year

• Painting : Approximately 4 years, 4800 hours On-The-Job training, and a minimum of 520 hours classroom instruction per year

• Laborer : Approximately 2 years, 3000 hours On-The-Job training, and a minimum of 216 hours classroom instruction

A . Classes are held year round. Classes may be held in a concentrated training session of one or two week blocks, or on Saturdays. Classroom attendance is mandatory. During your first months in the program, you will be scheduled for a mandatory Jobsite Safety course and CPR/Medic First Aid course, both held on a Saturday.  


Q. Where will I attend School?

A. Electrical, Carpentry, Painting, and Construction Craft Laborer classes are held at the ABC-GGC Livermore Training Facility. Plumbing classes are held at the ABC-GGC Sacramento Plumbing Training Facility. Several of the mandatory certifications that you will take will be held offsite throughout Northern California.


Q. How Long Will it Take Me to get into the Program?

A . Applications are accepted continually. All documentation must be included in order for the application to be approved. Incomplete applications will be returned. Testing is scheduled several times a year. Oral interviews are scheduled after successful test results. A mandatory orientation with drug screening is then scheduled to review all aspects of the program where you are applying to be accepted.

Q. How Much Does it Cost?

A . Once accepted into the program, apprentices pay for classroom books and your basic tools for the trade. Cost is approximately $200 per year.

Q. Must I Have Experience in the Trade to Apply?

A . No. Apprenticeship is a paid learning and training opportunity. You will learn on the job skills with a journeyperson from a participating contractor and your theory and additional practical application in the classroom.

Q. If I Have Experience in the Trade Must I Start at the First Level?

A . If you have at least one year of verified experience in the trade you are applying for, you may request to take the challenge test. If you are eligible to take the test and you past with the minimum required score, you may be placed in the program at higher level.

Q. Who Will Find Me Work?

A . ABC apprentices are placed with contractors who have been approved by the apprenticeship committee to train apprentices. Apprenticeship is voluntary. It is something you must want to do. Once you become an approved applicant and ready for dispatch, you will be placed on a list to be sent out to work in ranking order (by a combination of math and oral interview score). ABC is required to keep your name on the list for up to two years. ABC is not a job placement service.

Q. If I am Currently Working for a Contractor, Can I Continue to Work for them as an Apprentice?

A . Once you have met all the qualifications, complete the sponsor form, and have been accepted as an approved applicant, your employer, if they are approved to train through ABC, can request from the apprenticeship committee to have you dispatch to them. It is a committee decision on a case by case basis. Sponsorship is not guaranteed. You will be placed with various contractors throughout your apprenticeship program in order to give you a well rounded training experience.