Getting into a sheet metal apprenticeship

In a shop learning to cut, form and seam metal, or on site hanging duct. Precise layout work: this trade is more math than it looks.

• 18 or older.
• High-school diploma or GED.
• Algebra and geometry. Layout and pattern development use both constantly.
• Driver's license for most programs.
• Drug screen and physical.

These are what most programs ask. Every sponsor sets its own, so check the program page before you rely on any of it.

Aptitude testing on math and reading, plus an interview. Some programs include a spatial-reasoning section, which suits people who can picture a flat pattern folding into a shape.

Union training centers typically run defined annual intakes; contractor-sponsored programs hire closer to continuously.

We do not list application dates, because no registry publishes them and we will not invent one. Calling the training center and asking is the only reliable way, and it takes five minutes.

• Brush up geometry, especially angles and areas.
• A shop class or a short fabrication course gives you something real to point to.
• Ask whether a program leads to architectural, industrial or HVAC work. They are quite different lives.

None of this disqualifies you permanently. Most of it is a few months of work.