Apprenticeship programs are co-sponsored by the IUPAT/FTI to meet the ever-changing needs of the industry and the affiliates it serves. The apprenticeship program follows a program of study that ensures apprentices will learn the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills necessary to be successful in your chosen trade.
During your apprenticeship, you will learn through a hybrid approach that uses a combination of related classroom instruction and on-the-job learning to achieve the competencies and skills that meet the program’s requirements. Students will complete the required hours in their selected program which will include a minimum of 144 hours of classroom instruction as well as the required minimum on-the-job hours per year of apprenticeship as mandated by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The curriculum will include a core body of knowledge that will include an introduction to the Union and the finishing trades; health and safety; and leadership and professional development. All apprentices will be assessed on their acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities in both the core and trade-specific curriculum through hands-on and written tests as well as measurement of performance performing tasks on the job.
The IUPAT and its signatory employers established the FTI to provide ongoing education and training for all our union members. Our mission is to continue to set the standard of excellence in the many trades our members represent.
Also, of great advantage to our members is access to the Finishing Trades Institute’s Learning Management System (LMS); a secure web-based learning portal designed for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content. It is an accessible way of providing apprenticeship training course materials to registered FTI LMS users.
The FTI curriculum and training centers constantly evolve to remain at the cutting edge of our trades.