Trades & Workforce
Explore a variety of resources to help you discover and succeed in careers within the skilled trades and workforce sectors. Whether you’re set on a specific career path or want to explore your options, these resources will help you make informed decisions and guide you toward a rewarding and successful career.
The Young Adult Workforce Program helps eligible in-school and out-of-school young adults explore high-growth career pathways by providing local labor market information, identifying career goals, and offering free services to support their development, ultimately guiding them toward long-term.
Trades & Workforce Career Resources
Apprenticeship
An apprentice is an employed worker in training. Apprenticeships involves on-the-job training and technical instruction in many different trades. The goal of training is to master the practical and theoretical aspects of the work required in a skilled trade, and to graduate to journeyman status. Depending on the trade, an apprenticeship lasts from one to six years. A Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship is issued when the apprentice completes the training. Apprentices train in every major industry. Some occupations that require an apprenticeship include: carpenter, cook, machinist, steel metal worker, drywall finisher, and electrician. For more information, please contact:
U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training
211 South Court Street, Room 150
Rockford, IL 61101
(815) 987-4253
For additional information, you can also check out the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) Guide to Apprenticeship Programs.
ICATT Apprenticeship Program (Other Local Community Colleges)
ICATT offers other “Earn and Learn” models in partnership with community colleges in the greater Chicagoland area. For more information, visit the ICATT Apprenticeship Program webpage.
