Question: What happens if I pass the examination? 

Answer: If you pass the entrance examination, you will be placed on the Accepted Applicants List. Note: In order to pass the entrance examination, you must achieve an overall score of at least 70 percent or greater. 


Question: How do you select the applicants to begin your program once they are placed on the Accepted Applicants List? 

Answer: All accepted applicants are ranked according to their examination score. When a need arises because of demand in the construction field, the applicant with the highest score will be called first. We work down the list from highest passing score to lowest passing score. 


Question: How do I determine my position on the Accepted Applicants List? 

Answer: Following your participation in the entrance examination, you will be mailed and/or emailed a test result letter with your examination scores. The letter will state whether you have passed or failed the examination. If you pass the examination, the letter will also list the name and telephone number of your assigned Apprentice Coordinator.  It is important to keep your information current with the Operating Engineers Training Trust in order to receive important communications. 


Question: If I am on the Accepted Applicants List, or once indentured as an apprentice, can I search for work by soliciting contractors? 

Answer: No. You are not allowed to solicit your own work. It is a violation of the labor contract we have signed with our union contractors for persons associated with our program to individually solicit work. Finding you employment is the responsibility of your assigned Apprentice Coordinator. 


Question: If I am accepted into your program, how long will I be an apprentice? 

Answer: The program consists of 6,000 hours of on-the-job training and six (6) semesters of related and supplemental classroom instruction. The related and supplemental instruction occurs at our training sites; approximately 2-3 Saturdays a month. Once you have obtained 6,000 hours working for a contractor(s), and have completed all of your related and supplemental classroom instruction, you will have completed the Apprenticeship Program and be classified as a Journeyperson. Most of our apprentices complete the program in three (3) to four (4) years. 


Question: How much does the program cost? 

Answer: There is no cost to you for our program. However, once you start work, you will be expected to join IUOE Local 12 and begin paying union dues. The initiation fee to join IUOE Local 12 is approximately $800. You will be given a five (5) month period of time to pay this initiation fee once you are dispatched to your first contractor and indentured into our program. After the initiation fee, the annual fee to remain an active member in IUOE Local 12 is approximately $288 per year as an active apprentice. During your participation in the apprenticeship program, you are required to maintain an active membership in IUOE Local 12. 


Question: Can I draw Veteran Benefits while going through the program? 

Answer: Yes. We are a state approved apprenticeship program recognized by the Veterans Administration. If you are a veteran, we encourage you to provide us a copy of your DD-214 upon taking your drug test. 


Question: Do you drug test? 

Answer: Yes. Before we allow you to begin your initial training, you must first obtain a negative substance abuse test scheduled by the Operating Engineers Training Trust. Many of the contractors in the industry also conduct substance abuse testing as part of their safety programs. 


Question: What are the wages? 

Answer: Apprentices start at 60 percent of the current negotiated Journeyperson's wage rate.


Question: Will I be paid during the initial training? 

Answer: No. The Training Trust does not compensate any member for training. The first time you are called off the Accepted Applicants List, you will be required to attend a training site for initial safety training. We cannot place you on a job without you first acquiring basic safety skills for working on a construction site. You will need to remain at the training site until you demonstrate a minimum level of safety for operating basic equipment and job-related tasks. You will be asked to attend the training site Tuesday through Friday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm as often as possible. The length of time you spend at the training site can be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Some of the factors that affect how long you will be at the training site for this initial training period include:

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• Your ability to learn;

• Your discipline to attend the training site as often as possible;

• Weather (work tends to slow down during the rainy season);

• Economy (we cannot place you on a job if the contractors do not have work). When work becomes available that you can safely perform, you will be indentured into our program, dispatched to a union contractor, and will begin to earn Step One (1) apprentice wages.

Question: Does an apprentice receive health/welfare and pension benefits? 

Answer: Apprentices will receive their health/welfare benefits once they have completed the required work hours to become eligible. 

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Question: I'm already an Operating Engineer Apprentice with another IUOE Local. Can I transfer programs?

Answer: We have a procedure to follow, but it does not guarantee the acceptance of the request. You can learn more on the process here. Transfer Request Information