Trade Schools and Apprenticeships

Trade Schools, Apprenticeships & Training Programs in St. Louis

🔧 Apprenticeships & Skilled Trades

Apprenticeship Training Programs in the St. Louis, MO Area

  • Boilermakers Local 27 Apprenticeship – 314-533-5199 | local27.org – Specialized welding and fabrication program focused on the installation and maintenance of high-pressure boilers, tanks, and pressure vessels.
  • Bricklayers Local 1 Apprenticeship & Training – 314-770-1066 | bacstl.com – Trains workers in brick masonry, block work, stone setting, tuckpointing, marble, plastering, and tile setting
  • Building Union Diversity (BUD) / Apprentice Ready – 573-536-2237 | moworksinitiative.org – A comprehensive 5-week multi-trade preparatory track. It features hands-on rotations through 18 different union training facilities to help you choose a specialty.
  • Carpenters – Mid America Carpenters St. Louis Training Center – 314-457-8300 | mactc.org | St. Louis campus – The full carpentry apprenticeship builds job-ready skills through paid on-the-job and classroom training. Most programs take four to five years; the St. Louis program is 8 terms (about 4½ years) with 6,000 job-site hours and 18 training units. Apprentices earn a raise each term and receive medical and pension benefits while they learn. This is separate from the 3-week PATTS introductory course listed under Pre-Apprentice Technical Training.
  • Cement Masons Local 527 Joint Apprenticeship – 314-549-7805 | cement527.org – This program specializes in decorative concrete finishing, commercial flatwork, step setting, and structural patch-and-rub work.
  • Construction Career Development Initiative (CCDI) – 314-258-2460 | ccdi.org – Similar to the women's (MOWIT) and BUD programs, this is a regional support initiative that mentors diverse or underrepresented applicants and aligns them directly with job placements across these trade centers.
  • Electrical Industry Training Center (IBEW Local 1 JATC) St. Louis – 314-644-3587 | electricalconnection.org – This is the primary union track operated by the partnership between IBEW Local 1 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). It features full-time paid “earn-while-you-learn” commercial, industrial, and residential electrician programs.
  • Elevator Constructors – 800-228-8220 | neiep.org – It is a four-year training program requiring 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and a minimum of 144 hours of classroom instruction per year. According to IUEC Local 3 Employment Opportunities, applications will not open again until approximately August 2028.
  • Glaziers Local Union 513 – 314-647-3327 | glaziers513.org – Operating under the Painters District Council, this apprenticeship focuses strictly on the cutting, installation, and handling of commercial storefront glass and glass architectural features.
  • Heat & Frost Insulators Local 1 – 314-291-7399 | insulators1.org – Focuses on the installation of mechanical insulation systems for energy conservation, fire-stopping, and climate control across commercial and industrial infrastructure.
  • IBEW Local 1 Electrical Training Center – 314-644-3587 | ibewlocal1.org – Operates a rigorous 5-year paid commercial electrician program alongside an alternative program via the IEC Greater St. Louis.
  • Ironworkers Local 396 Training School – 314-644-1550 | ironworkers396.org – Covers structural, ornamental, and reinforcing ironwork trades.
  • Laborers' Local 42 & Local 110 Training Center – 314-531-1187 | liuna42stl.com – This program trains skilled construction craft laborers for tasks involving commercial concrete work, highway construction, demolition, and environmental remediation.
  • Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT) – 636-224-8145 | mowit.org – Offers direct mentorship, support networks, and job readiness preparation specifically for local women entering the construction trades.
  • Operating Engineers Local 513 Apprenticeship – 573-485-2200 | iuoe513.org – A rigorous three-year program combining heavy equipment operation classroom time with field experience. Heavy machinery field training takes place on their vast training grounds located just north of the metropolitan area.
  • Painters & Allied Trades District Council 58 – 314-647-3327 | IUPAT on Facebook – Covers standard commercial painting, industrial coating, drywall finishing, glazing (glass work), and floor covering trades.
  • Plasterers Local Union No. 3 – 314-647-4881 – Dedicated training in historical plaster restoration, fireproofing applications, and modern commercial stucco/EIFS systems.
  • Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 Training Center – 314-388-0722 | ua562 – This program trains apprentices for the local plumbing and mechanical industries, handling commercial welding, pipefitting, and residential plumbing across eastern Missouri.
  • Pre-Apprentice Technical Training – 314-457-8300 | mactc.org – Carpenters, Electrician, Floor Coverer, Mill Cabinet, Millwright. Includes the PATTS Program (Pre-Apprentice Technical Training School). It is an intensive 3-week, 120-hour introductory course.
  • Roofers & Waterproofers Local Union No. 2 – 314-535-9683 | rooferslocal2.com – Focuses on commercial low-slope roofing systems, hot built-up applications, architectural shingles, and waterproofing structural foundations. Apprenticeship credit hours can also be applied toward an Associate's Degree.
  • Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 Training School – 314-371-2800 | sheetmetal36.org – Centered in an eco-friendly facility near downtown St. Louis, this multi-year apprenticeship prepares individuals for architectural sheet metal, commercial HVAC installation, detailing, and fabrication.
  • Sprinkler Fitters Local 268 – 314-241-8023 | sprinklerfitters268.org – A dedicated branch of pipefitting strictly focused on the design, installation, maintenance, and testing of life-safety overhead fire protection sprinkler systems.

🏫 Trade Schools and Apprenticeships: Compare Your Options

There are two common paths into a skilled trade. At a trade school you pay tuition and train in a classroom and shop, then look for work. In a paid union apprenticeship you are hired and paid while you train on the job and in class. Compare them below, then check each program for current costs, wages and openings.

CompareTrade schoolPaid union apprenticeship
CostTuition and fees; financial aid and scholarships may helpUsually no tuition; some programs charge for books or tools
IncomeUsually not paid while in schoolPaid while you learn; pay rises as you progress
ScheduleFull- or part-time classes, often a few months to 2 yearsFull-time work plus classes, often 3 to 5 years
AdmissionApplication; most require a high school diploma or HSEApplication, often an aptitude test and interview; openings are limited and may open only at certain times
Job placementCareer services help you look for work; a job is not guaranteedYou work for a contractor while you train
CredentialCertificate, diploma or associate degreeJourney-level certificate; some programs give college credit

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