By Sofia Albini
Operations & Programs, Texas State Building Trades Council
Edited by Ryan Pollock
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Regardless of what point you are at in your life, furthering your education may feel like the ‘best next step’. For many people, that means enrolling in college. However, by the end of 2025, one in four unemployed individuals held a college degree. Now, in 2026, student loan debt has reached an all-time high of $1.833 trillion.
Over the past 10 years, incoming students and recent graduates alike have increasingly questioned whether the cost of college is worth the pay-off. For many careers, college is the only option. However, if you are interested in working with your hands, seeing the results of your work take shape in front of you, or simply desire a steady paycheck with excellent healthcare and retirement benefits, you may want to consider another path: a skilled-trades apprenticeships.
What is a joint apprenticeship program?
Apprenticeships are nationally recognized and registered programs that provide structured training and employment in the trade of your choosing. To be more concise, apprentices are paid to learn and they earn wages and benefits on a graduated pay skill that increase as they gain experience and skills.
Programs can take from 3-5 years to complete and are comprised of 32 hours of on-the-job training and eight hours of classroom training a week. There are 1,900 training centers across the U.S. and Canada built to provide you with the skills, knowledge, and professional habits necessary to perform work in a given trade without direct supervision or instruction.
These programs are operated by our local affiliates and their joint labor-management apprenticeship programs.
What makes an apprenticeship valuable?
Benefits from Day One
Through a joint labor-management apprenticeship, apprentices can receive valuable benefits. such as health insurance andor retirement benefits, beginning on their first day on the job.
A Debt Free Education
When apprentices are being paid from the get-go in a tuition-free program that doesn’t require student loans, they can build a family supporting career.
Stronger Earning Potential
Apprenticeship graduates earn more than their non-apprenticeship counterparts, on average. Graduates earn approximately 15% more than the median wage for workers in their trade during their first-year post-graduation. Furthermore, former apprentices average ~$300,000 more over the course of their career than non-apprenticeship participants.
Skills Employers Value
Employers want workers who can successfully complete projects, but apprenticeships provide much more than technical instruction. Project and business management are often included in the curriculum. Iinstructors want apprentices to have the opportunity to advance into management or become business owners, should they choose to do so.
Moreover, students have access to train with the most state-of-the-art and up-to-date technologies in their field.
Who is eligible for an apprenticeship?
Although individual programs have their own requirements, there is generally no maximum age for applicants. That means that an apprenticeship could be the perfect opportunity for you, no matter what stage of life you may be in.
Where can I find out more information?
Visit the North America’s building Trades Unions website to locate the training center nearest you. If you are interested in construction management, check out the NABTU and Rowan University education program. Furthermore, you can always reach out to us at the Texas Building and Construction Trades Council where we will help you find the information you’re looking for.
The construction labor market may fluctuate, but employers are always looking for skilled, dependable, and highly trained workers. Our affiliated locals and apprenticeship programs will prepare you to stand out when employment opportunities are available.
