Overview

While others are starting school you can start your career.

Currently housed in a state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot facility in San Jose, the Loyd E. Williams Pipe Trades Training Center has for decades offered the highest quality apprentice and journey level courses available. Accredited by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards for the State of California and affiliated with Foothill College, the Training Center offers four distinct apprenticeship opportunities in Residential Plumbing, Commercial Plumbing, Steamfitting and Refrigeration/HVAC.  We have over 70 instructors who bring first-rate credentials and vast field experience to enrich your classroom experience as well as dozens of signatory contractors who offer valuable on-the-job training.

Our program consists of five years of supervised on-the-job training that is accompanied by classroom instruction that supports and compliments the jobsite experience.  A beginning apprentice in one of our commercial tracks will earn in excess of $20 per hour and pays no tuition.  This apprenticeship program is committed to equal opportunity in recruitment, selection and training.  No previous trade knowledge is necessary to apply!

Upon graduation from the program the apprentice is granted journey level status.  Journeymen are encouraged to return to the Training Center in order to expand their knowledge and add to their skill sets through our journey level training program.  Tuition is free!

Opportunities for advancement in the trades are determined by the growth of the industry, the contractor, and the apprentice's individual skill and ambition.  As a graduate of the Apprenticeship program, Journey Level members interested in personal growth can pursue a wide variety of career choices that encompass varied levels of responsibility:

• Foreman
• Estimator
• Field Superintendent
• Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CAD)
• Safety Officer
• Project Manager
• Company Operations Manager
• Company Owner
• Quality Control Technician
• Instructor/Teacher
• City, County, State, or Municipal Inspector

As technology and industry change so do the needs for qualified individuals with Pipe Trades training and experience. Through partnerships with dozens of different contractors, graduates of the Pipe Trades program work in residential, commercial, industrial, and refrigeration/air conditioning services and repair in industries that include:

• Semiconductor
• Energy
• Biopharmacuetical
• Healthcare
• Aerospace
• Education
• Housing
• Water Treatment
• Food and Beverage Processing
• And many more

Benefits of Apprenticeship:

• Excellent Wages - "Earn While You Learn"
• Wage increases are awarded each semester throughout the program
• Supervised on-the-job training and classroom academic instruction

The Benefits for you and your dependents include:

• Medical, Dental, Prescription, and Disability Insurance
• Retirement Benefits (including 401a plans)
• Scholarship programs are also available to member's spouses and dependents for a wide variety of educational opportunities.