Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is an employer-driven, "learn while you earn'" model that combines structured on-the-job training with job-related instruction.  The curriculum is tied to the attainment of industry-recognized skills and standards and leads to an industry credential.  The on-the-job experience is provided by the employer and the apprentice is paid during the program.

The Greater Calumet Industrial Region includes the South Side of Chicago, Southern Cook County and Northwest Indiana.  Over 1,500 companies, representing nearly 50 industrial sectors and manufacturing employment of 83,000, operate in this region, including food, chemical, glass, paper, automotive, steel and metal fabrication industries.  They offer free training programs and financial support for the manufacturing industry. 

Chicago Women in Trades works to ensure that all women who want to work with their hands and earn a good living have equal access to information, training, and employment opportunities in the industry.

Chicagoland Career Pathways is a starting point for Chicagoans who are looking for an onramp to a rewarding career.  With this directory, you can find programs that fit your career interests, are located nearby, prioritize recruiting candidates like you, and are free or even provide a paycheck.  Career Pathways currently focuses on programs available to individuals of approximate secondary school graduation age (18 years) or older, and serves as an excellent tool for young adults to plan for their future. 

The Chicagoland Regional College Program pays you and pays for college by combining a part-time job at UPS with tuition support at any of our 7 partner colleges and universities and affiliate institutions.  If you want to go to college and need help paying for it, it’s a great deal.

The CRCP has been helping students pay for college since 2003.  Many CRCP alumni are now achieving their goals with the help of the career certificates, associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees they earned while in the program.

The Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) is a non-profit labor management association.  CISCO was founded in 1988 in an effort to bring union construction labor and management representatives together to work cooperatively in order to better the construction industry as a whole.  CISCO currently represents over 8,000 union contractors and 140,000 workers in Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, Kendall and McHenry Counties.  Click here for the entire CISCO Apprenticeship Guide.

Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training (ICATT) is the leading apprenticeship program for high-tech manufacturers and companies with complex administration processes.  It is the largest program fully benchmarked on the German Dual Education System – an approach recognized globally for its combination of company-specific knowledge, theory, and hands-on learning – resulting in highly-trained and flexible employees.  

Illinois Department of Employment Security's list of skilled trade labor unions.

To expand economic opportunity, the Illinois workNet® Portal and Program utilizes partnerships and technology to expand seamless and real-time access to workforce development resources aimed at individuals, employers, and workforce/education partners.

TrainingProviderResults.gov helps further the U.S. Department of Labor’s mission of providing high-quality job training and enhanced employment opportunities to the American workforce.