Live job listings from union halls, defense primes, and skilled-trade employers in your state.
Registered apprenticeships pay you from day one — average 4-year programs end in journey-level wages.
mikeroweWORKS Foundation and partner programs offer scholarships designed specifically for skilled-trade training.
Each of these trades is in heavy demand right now. Each one is essential to America’s defense industrial base. Pick the one that fits the way you want to spend your days.
Search live openings from employers and union halls in your area.
In-state programs vetted for skilled-trade and apprenticeship pathways.
Philadelphia, PA
Three-year paid shipbuilding apprenticeship, full-time employee from day one, with 100% of instruction costs covered by the shipyard.
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Lancaster, PA
Two-year technical college with welding, electrical, HVAC, and machining programs and strong job placement.
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Williamsport, PA
Penn State-affiliated technical college offering apprenticeship and workforce-development tracks in machining, welding, and building trades.
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Philadelphia, PA
Earn-while-you-learn electrical apprenticeship sponsored by IBEW Local 98 and the Philadelphia JATC.
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Philadelphia, PA
Five-year registered apprenticeship in pipefitting, welding, and HVACR service for the region's industrial and energy sector.
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Pittsburgh, PA
Gateway to registered apprenticeships across 16 building-trades unions in the Pittsburgh region.
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Registered Apprenticeship programs statewide (Dec 2024)
Apprentices supported across the Commonwealth since 2023
Average annual earnings after completing a PA apprenticeship
Projected skilled-trade shortfall by 2030 - demand is real
Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry apprenticeship reports; PA Department of Community & Economic Development; U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship database.
Welders, machinists, electricians, and pipefitters lead demand. Pennsylvania has more critical submarine and aircraft-carrier suppliers than any other state, plus heavy data-center, energy, and petrochemical construction.
A standard Pennsylvania electrician apprenticeship runs four to five years of paid on-the-job training paired with classroom hours, with wages scaling each year toward journey-level rates.
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster and Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport offer accredited welding tracks, and the Hanwha Philly Shipyard runs a paid welding apprenticeship. See the Trade schools section above for the full list.
Yes. The mikeroweWORKS Foundation, PAsmart, and the FIT grant program all support Pennsylvanians in skilled-trade training, and Manufacturing PA grants fund shipbuilding career pathways. See the Scholarships section for current programs.
Our mission is simple: build the workforce that builds and defends America. Our national and economic security depends on it. We will help power our nation’s defense industrial base and revive the skilled trades. We will be connecting the next generation of builders – the welders, machinists, mechanics, electricians, technicians and more – to high-wage, big-impact jobs. You can help us build freedom for generations to come.
Contact usIn partnership with mikeroweWORKS Foundation, National Labor Exchange and the Department of War.
