Switch to a trade while you're working

What will I earn as an apprentice?

Less than a fully trained worker at first, with a raise every 6 months or year. Here are the real numbers programs publish:

Union apprentices also get health care and retirement on top of that pay, and the training itself is usually free. Electricians in Michigan earn a median of $36.67 an hour once licensed, plumbers $38.56. Pay for every career

Why the honesty matters: if you earn $18 in retail now, a first-year apprenticeship may be about the same or a little more, not a big jump. The big jump comes in years 3 to 5.

Sources: Michigan Laborers, 2026 wage rates · Detroit EITC · West Michigan JATC · Lansing Electrical JATC · UA Local 333 · BLS, May 2025

Can I keep my job while I train?

Not ready for either? A pre-apprenticeship is a short, often free program that gets you ready to apply. Michigan endorses good ones through its MARC list. In Detroit, Detroit at Work lists free trades training. Access for All is a free 300-hour construction program in Lansing and Highland Park that helps with transportation and child care and pays a small stipend.

Sources: Washtenaw CC · LIUNA Training of Michigan

How does applying to a union apprenticeship work?

1. Watch for the window. Many programs take applications only a few weeks or months a year. MUST Construction Careers lists each trade's contact.
2. Bring the basics: a high school diploma or GED, a driver's license and, for electricians and many others, a transcript showing a year of high school algebra.
3. Take the test. Electrical programs use a national test in algebra and reading. Plumbers, pipefitters and operating engineers often use WorkKeys scores. You can retest, often after 90 days.
4. Interview with a committee from the union and contractors.
5. Get ranked. You go on a list that usually stays good for 1 to 2 years. You're called as contractors need apprentices, so the wait varies.

Tip: brush up on algebra first. Free adult education or a community college refresher can raise your test score, and a higher score moves you up the list.

Sources: Electrical Training Alliance · Lansing Electrical JATC · UA Local 370 · Operating Engineers 324

Who helps pay for child care while I train?

• The state's Child Development and Care (CDC) program counts trade training as an approved reason for help. A family of three qualifies with income up to $4,554 a month, and the lowest-income families pay nothing, with small family shares above that. Apply through MI Bridges.
• MI Tri-Share splits child care three ways between you, your employer and the state, for families above the CDC limit. It only works if your employer has joined.
• Michigan Works! can help with costs that get in the way, depending on your agency and funds. One example, GST Michigan Works! in Flint, can help with gas, bus passes, car repairs, tools and work clothes, and with child care if CDC turns you down.

Sources: MiLEAP, CDC for parents · CDC income scale (Aug. 2026) · MiLEAP, Tri-Share FAQ · GST Michigan Works!, support services

Starting in Flint or Genesee County

• Electricians: the Flint/Saginaw Electrical JATC (IBEW 948 and 557) is taking applications for its 2027 class until Jan. 31, 2027. You need a diploma or GED, two semesters of high school algebra and a $25 fee.
• Plumbers, pipefitters and HVAC: UA Local 370 takes applications Jan. 2 to March 31, 2027 for Genesee, Shiawassee and Lapeer residents.
• HVAC classes: Mott Community College has an HVAC degree and certificate that cover EPA 608. Free for many adults through Reconnect.
• Help paying: GST Michigan Works! Flint Service Center, 711 N. Saginaw St., 810-233-5974.

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