An Opportunity to Earn While You Learn
Arizona Western College (AWC) sponsors Registered Apprenticeships that blend paid, hands-on experience with college level technical instruction.
Here’s how the partnership works:
- AWC’s Role — Related Technical Instruction (RTI)
- We design and deliver the classroom, lab, and courses that cover the theory, codes, and safety standards your trade demands.
- All RTI applies directly toward an AWC certificate, giving you portable college credit and a clear pathway to an associate degree, if desired.
- Employer’s Role — Paid On-the-job Training (OJT)
- You are hired and paid by one of our sponsoring contractors or companies.
- Your employer provides daily mentoring, practical skill development, and wage progression as you advance.
- Your Benefit — A Career That Starts Paying on Day One
- Earn a wage while you master the trade.
- Graduate with both an AWC credential and a U.S. Department of Labor journey level certificate credentials that move with you.
- Avoid or minimize student debt by letting your work fund your education.
Arizona Western College partners with Yuma County employers to sponsor Registered Apprenticeships.
- Wages: AWC does not pay apprentice wages—that responsibility rests with the hiring employer.
- Matching: AWC does not place or match applicants with employers; it is your responsibility to seek out and secure apprenticeship employment.
- Enrollment timing: You may apply to an apprenticeship pathway and begin taking the related technical‑instruction courses before you are hired, but you cannot be formally admitted to the Registered Apprenticeship until you have secured qualifying employment with a sponsoring company.
Once employed, your company provides the paid on‑the‑job training, while AWC delivers the accredited classroom and lab instruction that earns college credit and meets all U.S. Department of Labor standards. Through this collaboration we maintain academic support and regulatory oversight, creating a pipeline of skilled talent for Yuma County—and giving you the chance to earn a living and a credential at the same time.
Current sponsored apprenticeship pathways:
For more information on apprenticeships, please send an email to our apprenticeship director at apprentice@azwestern.edu.
How Apprenticeship Works for Employers
Registered apprenticeships have been utilized to meet workforce needs nationwide for decades. These programs offer employers the opportunity to build and enrich a company’s high-quality talent pipeline while bolstering its bottom line.
The goal of our apprenticeship programs here in Yuma County is to provide employees with advanced skill sets to meet their specific needs. You can sponsor an existing employee or hire a candidate based on your hiring criteria.
Apprenticeships can benefit an employer. There are many reasons to hire an apprentice, including but not limited to:
- Immediate access to new, skilled, and motivated employees
- Unique opportunity to shape and mold a model employee
- Contribution to the local skilled workforce
- Increased team loyalty and reduced turnover
Apprenticeship Works for Students
As an apprentice, you must be highly committed and able to work full-time under the direction of a seasoned professional while completing rigorous study in the pursuit of certification in your chosen field.
Arizona Western College is proud to offer unique apprenticeship programs as part of its curriculum.
The benefits of apprenticeships include:
- On-the-job training and career advancement
- Lower or no educational debt
- Expanded skill sets
- The pursuit of a college degree
Arizona Western College is a registered apprenticeship sponsor with the state of Arizona and currently offers apprenticeships for Electrical Technology.
Take advantage of our “Earn While You Learn” apprenticeship programs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
An apprenticeship is an “earn while you learn” model, which combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training. In a traditional apprenticeship program, apprentices complete 2,000 hours of on-the-job training per year, a minimum of 144 hours of related instruction per year, and they earn a progressive wage.
Arizona Western College is a registered apprenticeship sponsor with the state of Arizona and currently offers apprenticeships for Electrical Technology.
The length of each apprenticeship program varies. The electrical apprenticeship is a four-year program. Apprentices will take classes at an AWC campus two nights a week.
In the electrical technology program, apprentices are automatically awarded their journeyman license upon successful completion of the four-year program and a certificate from Arizona Western College.
Apprentices receive a progressive wage, and the typical starting wage is 50 percent of their final salary at the end of the apprenticeship program. Apprentices receive period wage increases as they complete training requirements.
In order to participate, first, identify a mentor (called a “journeyperson”) who will be responsible for training the apprentice in a one-on-one relationship. This mentor/journeyperson will ensure that the apprentice completes their on-the-job training requirements as part of the program. This mentor/journeyperson will receive initial mentor training and will be responsible for signing off on the hourly log kept by the apprentice.
Once a mentor/journeyperson is identified, they will work with the apprenticeship office to become a registered employer. The apprentice must be free to attend class at the designated time, and they will need to work with AWC to determine a progressive wage scale. After approval, they may begin interviewing and hiring from the pool of applicants.
In a traditional apprenticeship, the apprentice works 2,000 hours per year, is generally considered a regular, full-time employee (hourly or salary, depending on the employer), and is generally entitled to the same benefits as other company employees. Similarly, they are also subject to the same rules and requirements as regular employees.
Yes! Please contact the apprenticeship director if they have a current employee who would like to participate in the program. We will work with you to become a registered employer and with each employee to enroll in the apprenticeship program.
An internship is typically a short-term work experience. Internships can be either paid or unpaid. They are designed to introduce students to a field or specific company for a short period, perhaps with the expectation of long-term employment once education is completed.
Education and on-the-job training are not formally linked to an internship.
An apprenticeship is a formal training program with purposefully linked on-the-job training and classroom instruction.
The goal of an apprenticeship is to establish a long-term relationship where employers directly train an apprentice and, in turn, develop a lasting relationship.
No experience is required of a new apprentice. Most registered apprenticeship programs require applicants to have a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some occupations require completion of specific subjects such as algebra, blueprint reading, or related shop work.
We can work with employers to create a customized program and recruit apprentices. Contact apprentice@azwestern.edu to learn how the program could benefit your business.