An apprenticeship lets you learn a trade while you are paid to do it. You work on real jobs under experienced tradespeople, take classes alongside, and your pay goes up as you progress until you reach journey level. In Contra Costa County there are two ways in: a pre-apprenticeship that gets you ready, or applying straight to an apprenticeship program.
Option 1: a pre-apprenticeship
A pre-apprenticeship is a short training program that teaches the basics and the safety certificates, so you are a stronger applicant when an apprenticeship opens. Two run in the county:
Future Build (East County). Run with the Pittsburg Adult Education Center, the Contra Costa Workforce Development Board and the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council, among others. It is 16 weeks or more of training in the building trades, solar installation, construction and hazardous waste. Graduates earn certificates including the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3), OSHA 10, Hazwoper 40, forklift, flagger, CPR and first aid, and a refinery safety overview. To qualify you need to:
- Be 18 or older and live in East Contra Costa County.
- Have a high school diploma or GED, or be willing to get one.
- Qualify for WIOA job training services, and have a Social Security card or work authorization.
- Pass a drug test within 30 days of starting.
Call 925-522-2970 or apply at futurebuildec.com.
RichmondBUILD (West County). The City of Richmond’s academy starts every student on a carpentry pre-apprenticeship, with electives in solar, energy efficiency, electrical and more. Our Richmond guide has the details.
Option 2: apply to an apprenticeship
Each trade runs its own program, usually with a union and employers together, and each sets its own requirements and application dates. The electricians’ program in Martinez is a good example of what to expect. A recent posting from the Contra Costa County Electrical JATC (with IBEW Local 302) described the Inside Wireman apprenticeship like this:
- Length: five years, with 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training and 900 hours of classes, held September through May.
- Pay: starting at $26.50 an hour, 40% of the journeyman rate, with about a 10% raise every 1,600 hours of work and completed classes.
- Cost: none.
- Requirements: 17 to apply and 18 to start work, a high school diploma or GED, one full year of high school algebra with a C or better (or an equivalent), a driver’s license and reliable transportation, a qualifying aptitude test score and a drug screen.
Programs open and close their applications. When we checked on October 2, 2026, IBEW Local 302 listed Inside Wireman applications as closed and its Sound and Communications apprenticeship as open. Check ibewlu302.com or call 925-228-2302.
Find every program near you
California’s Division of Apprenticeship Standards keeps a search of registered apprenticeship programs by county and trade. Each listing shows the requirements and where to apply. A program being listed does not mean it is taking applications now, so contact the ones you want and ask when they next open.
Get ready before applications open
- Math. The electricians’ program requires algebra, and other trades test math too. If you did not pass it in school, a class at adult school or community college fixes that.
- A driver’s license and a way to get to job sites. Most programs ask for both.
- Paperwork. Have your diploma or GED, ID and work authorization ready to copy.
- Be ready for a drug test. Future Build and the electricians’ program both require one.
Not sure a trade is for you? Take our Trades or Degree? quiz. Interested in refinery work? Read How to Become a Refinery Operator. And for jobs you can start now, browse jobs in Contra Costa County or set up a job alert.