Apprenticeship Programs

Apprenticeships Webpage

In partnership, Renton Technical College (RTC) serves over 1500 apprentices each year, or nearly 20% of the total number of apprentices in Washington State. There are currently 8 apprenticeship programs representing 22 different occupations affiliated with RTC offering classroom and on-the-job training in the building and construction trades, manufacturing, and public utilities. Apprentices work full time in their field, between two and five years, and attend related schooling part-time, a few weeks per year or evenings per week. In several programs, you have the option of earning a Multi-Occupational Trades Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in addition to a journey-level certificate.   

Each program has an apprenticeship coordinator and a joint apprenticeship and training committee (JATC), made up of equal members of labor and management. Because the JATC is from industry, it makes sure that the training meets industry standards. It also determines how many people to let into the program, based on how many job openings are expected. Some programs - Maintenance, Machinists, and Stationary Engineers - are only open to current employees in participating companies. Other programs accept applications from the broader community.   

The JATC also determines the length of training, the process used to select candidates, and wage progression. Although apprentices are students, they are also workers, and they get paid for their time on the job. Apprentice wages begin at a percentage of the journey-level rate and increase based on an apprentice’s satisfactory progress in class and on the job. Tradespeople typically start at $18-24/hour plus benefits, and by the end of the apprenticeship (two to five years, depending on the program) earn $35-40/hour or more.      

 Generally, applicants must be at least 17 or 18 years old, have a valid Washington state driver’s license, and go through a selection process which might include a written test, physical test, drug test, and interview. For more information on specific programs, please contact the apprenticeship coordinators listed with each program below or search Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Catalog.  

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Catalog. 

Apprenticeship Partner Programs

Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee

Lynn Strickland, Executive Director
6811 S. 204th St. Suite 380

Contact: (206) 764-7940, info@ajactraining.org 

ajactraining.org

MACHINIST INSTITUTE 

Shana Peschek 

Contact: (206) 331-4648

info@machinistsinstitute.org 

https://www.machinistsinstitute.org/apprenticeship-programs 

MITAGS 

Jenny Pitzen, Student Instructional Services Manager 
1729 Alaskan Way South, Seattle, WA 98134 
Contact: (206) 739-0720 
mitags-pmi.org 

Seattle Area Heat & Frost Insulators & Asbestos Workers JATC 

Brian Kinsman, Coordinator 
Renton Technical College 
3000 NE Fourth Street, Bldg. L, Renton, WA 98056-4195 
Contact: (425) 235-7827 
https://wwwAsbestoslocal7insulators.org/ 

Seattle Area Roofers Apprenticeship Committee 

Duane Huberty

Roofers@seattlejatc54.net
30245 148th Ave South East, Kent, WA 98042 
Contact: (206) 728-2777 
https://www.rooferslocal54.com/

Western Washington Plasterers JATC 

Mike Raymond, Apprenticeship Coordinator
Renton Technical College  
3000 NE Fourth Street, Bldg. E, Renton, WA 98056-4195  
Contact: 206-762-9286

https://www.opcmia528.org/

Western Washington Stationary Engineers Apprenticeship Committee 

Andrea Major, Training Coordinator 
18 E St. S.W., Auburn, WA 98001 
Contact: (253) 351-0184 
iuoe286.org 

Multi-Occupational Trades Degree

General Occupational Degree 

Associate of Applied Science Degree 

This degree is an option for apprentices who have completed a specific, RTC-affiliated apprenticeship program of at least 432 classroom hours and 6,000 on-the-job training hours. The following programs are eligible: 

  AJAC:  

• Machinist   

• Industrial Maintenance/Automation Technician 

Ardagh:  

• Moldmakers   

• Industrial Maintenance Mechanic & Repair   

Construction Industry Training Council (CITC):  

• Carpentry   

Local 7 Insulators Heat and Frost:   

• Firestop    

• Mechanical Insulator (Asbestos)  

Machinist Institute 

• Machinist 

• Industrial Machinery Technician 

• Heavy duty Equipment Mechanic 

• Trailer, Container and Van Repair Mechanic 

Norwest Carpenter’s Institute (NWCI):  

• Carpenters   

• Pile Drivers   

• Millwrights   

• LADS   

 MITAGS 

• Unlimited Inland Mate 

• Mate 500-600 Tons 

Plasterers  

Western Washington Stationary Engineers Training Trust (WWSETT):  

• Stationary Engineers  

• Completion of a registered apprenticeship program affiliated with Renton Technical College, including documentation such as apprenticeship completion certificate from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.  

See all details here: https://rtc.edu/multi-occupational-trades 

Requirements for Degree  

• 5-credit General Education Mathematics class 

•  5 Credits from either General Education Communication or General Education Humanities  

•  5 Credits General Education Social Science class 

• Any elective class from any General Education Distribution area 5 Credits  

General Education Suggestions for NWCI Carpenters, CWU Transfer Option 

Carpenters apprentices can take advantage of RTC’s special agreement with Central Washington University (CWU) and their Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Technology and Administrative Management (BAS-ITAM), with a Project Management specialization. 

• Related instruction CARP classes can earn up to 45 lower-division credits. 

• Apprentice work hours earn 14 credits of upper-division internship and elective credits. 

• General Education classes add 15 to 20 lower-division credits, depending on the level of mathematics completed. 

The following classes are recommended for the AAS degree for the best transfer experience (at least 74 total credits towards the 180 required for the BAS degree). CWU requires a cumulative GPA of 2.3 or higher for these four classes to qualify for their agreement. 

Interested carpenters apprentices can learn more about the CWU ITAM partnership by speaking with an academic counselor or adviser. 

• for Mathematics, take 

• AMATH 190 - Financial Algebra 5 Credits 

• or  MATH& 107 - Math in Society 5 Credits 

• for Communication or Humanities, take 

• ENGL& 101 - English Composition I 5 Credits 

• for Social Science, take 

• PSYC& 100 - General Psychology 5 Credits 

• and for the General Education elective, take one of the following classes: 

• ECON& 202 - Macroeconomics 5 Credits 

• or  ENGL& 111 - Introduction to Literature 5 Credits 

• or  GEOL& 101 - Introduction to Physical Geology 5 Credits 

• or  MUSC& 105 - Music Appreciation 5 Credits 

• or  NUTR& 101 - Human Nutrition 5 Credits 

• or  POLS& 202 - American Government 5 Credits 

Use this instead, already in the catalog: