Apprenticeship · JATC

A Trade. A Career. A Future.

Local 25 apprentices learn the most in-demand sheet metal skills in the country — paid, debt-free and on the job from day one. Whether you’re just out of high school or looking for a career change, the door is open.

  • START YOUR Application HERE

Our most recent recruiting window opened Sept. 7, 2026. Submit your application here and get started.

See the Work

Before You Commit Four Years, See the Trade

Sheet Metal 101 | Hear Directly From Our Members

The official video series from SMART Local 25 — welding, testing and balancing, fabrication, drafting and installation, broken down one craft at a time.

What Does a Sheet Metal Worker Actually Do?

From the fabrication shop to the jobsite, this look at a day in the life shows you the tools, the skills and the variety of work Local 25 apprentices learn while training for lifelong careers.

Women Belong in This Trade

Women in Local 25 train side by side with their brothers, earn the same wages, learn the same skills and build the same careers. Hear from some women already in the field.

Sheet Metal 101 with Local 25: Testing & Balancing Techs
Sheet Metal 101 with Local 25: Installers
Sheet Metal 101 with Local 25 | Welders
Sheet Metal 101 with Local 25 | Draftspeople
Sheet Metal 101 with Local 25 | How We Make a Christmas Tree
Sheet Metal 101 with Local 25 | How We Make a Duct-U-Lator
Sheet Metal 101 with Local 25 | How We Make a Square to Round
Sheet Metal 101 with Local 25 | Our Welding Set-ups

What You’ll Earn

Earn While You Learn. Graduate Debt-Free.

While most college students take on debt for a four- or five-year degree pursuit, Local 25 apprentices earn on day one. Starting pay of $24.55/hour plus $23.24 in fringe benefits — healthcare, pension, annuity and more — with automatic raises every year of the program.

  • $75 per semester is all tuition costs. No textbooks to finance, no student loans, no four-year tuition bill.

  • A raise every 12 months, contingent on successful completion of two terms of classroom instruction and consistent on-the-job performance.

  • Overtime pays. Time-and-a-half beyond eight hours a day or on Saturdays; double time on Sundays and holidays.

2026 Wage Scale

LevelHourly WageTotal Package (Wage + Benefits)
Year 1$24.55$47.79
Year 2$26.18$51.77
Year 3$28.37$55.93
Year 4$35.46$76.64
Journeyperson$54.55$115.82

The total package includes all fringe benefit contributions per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Benefits Package

Employer Contributions

Local 25 apprentices and members earn a benefits package that very few private-sector workers — and almost no entry-level workers — ever see.

Health & Welfare Fund

Comprehensive medical, prescription and dental coverage for you.

Pension Fund

A defined-benefit pension that pays you in retirement.

Annuity Fund

A self-directed retirement account that grows alongside your pension starting as a seventh-term (fourth year) apprentice.

SASMI

The industry stabilization fund providing income protection and supplemental benefits.

Vacation Fund

Hourly contribution added to a credit union savings account.

Education Fund

Funds the apprenticeship and continuing education programs.

Industry Funds

Local & National Industry Funds supporting industrywide training and advocacy.

National Training Fund

Supports SMART’s national training infrastructure.

How to Become a Local 25 Apprentice

The Application Process

Local 25’s apprenticeship is a four-year, paid program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and administered by the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC). The process is straightforward but competitive. Local 25 accepts applications during published application windows only.

Get your application started today!

Apply Online
Submit Your Online Application and Required Documents

Complete the online application through the Union Fusion system during the open window. The application captures your contact information, education history, work history and required documentation.

All required documents — including transcripts, W-2 forms and certifications — must be uploaded to your application by the posted deadline.

Exam
Computerized Assessment

Qualified applicants are invited to sit for a computerized assessment covering three areas: Journey Assessment, Math, and Mechanical Reasoning.

Interview
Interview & Ranking

Applicants who advance through testing are invited to interview. Final selections are made on the combined results of application, exam and interview.

Screening
Program Introduction

Selected applicants are invited to a one-day Orientation to go over the requirements and more in depth look at the four year apprenticeship.

 

Screening
Drug Screening

Applicants must pass a drug screening as part of the selection process.  This is usually done at Orientation.

Offer
Apprenticeship Offer

Applicants who have completed all the previous steps are offered a place in the apprenticeship and assigned to a signatory contractor for on-the-job training while attending classes at the Local 25 Training Center in Carlstadt, New Jersey.

Need help preparing? Review tips on how to prepare for each step in the Apprentice Selection Process Guide.

General Requirements

What It Takes to Qualify

Local 25 maintains jurisdiction over work performed in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Union counties. To be considered, applicants must:

  • Have a valid driver’s license and a reliable means of transportation

  • Be able to pass a drug screening and take the computerized assessment

  • Work in all weather conditions and reach job sites in any of the eight counties

  • Stand for 8 hours a day, lift at least 40 pounds and climb at least an 8-foot ladder

  • Be available for overtime, evenings and weekends as required

  • Wear PPE — hard hat, safety gloves and glasses, ear protection, work boots, high-visibility clothing

  • Be able to obtain SWAC and TWIC cards

  • Must attend an in-person 20-30 minute interview

  • Must be eligible to work in the United States legally

  • Must submit high school transcripts, high school diploma or GED.

Required Documents

All applicants must submit with their online application:

  • A completed online application through the Union Fusion system

  • High school transcripts, high school diploma or GED

  • Valid driver’s license, Green Card, permanent resident or work card

Optional Supporting Documentation

  • W-2 forms from past and present employers’ industry related within the last five years.

  • Any other transcripts or certifications — trade school, college, welding, etc. within the last 5 years.

Apprentice School

All apprentice day school classes are held at the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union No. 25 Training Center, 440 Barell Ave., Carlstadt, NJ, or via Zoom. Classes run 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuition is $75 per semester, due by the first day of school, paid online through the Union Fusion system.

FAQs

Your Questions, Answered

Sheet metal workers fabricate and install the systems that move air, water and materials through buildings — including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), architectural metal, roofing, siding, clean rooms, skylights and ductwork. Local 25 members work on everything from hospitals and schools to data centers and high-rises across Northern New Jersey.

The apprenticeship is a four-year, paid program. Apprentices complete 160 hours of classroom instruction each year at our training center in Carlstadt, New Jersey, while working full time on the job for signatory contractors.

Yes. Apprentices earn from day one. Starting pay is 45% of the journeyperson wage schedule — currently $24.55 per hour. Pay increases every 12 months as apprentices advance through the program, until they attain journeyperson status. The journeyperson hourly rate is currently $54.55 per hour.

Apprentices pay $75 per semester in tuition. There are no other costs — no debt. Apprentices earn while they learn, and they graduate with a credential that pays for life.

Applicants must have a valid driver’s license, pass a drug screening, take a computerized assessment, be physically able to perform the work and submit required documentation with application including a high school transcript or GED.

 

Application windows open periodically. The next window will be announced first on our social media channels and posted on our website. Sign up for email alerts to be notified the moment applications open.

Members receive comprehensive healthcare, a defined-benefit pension, a self-directed annuity, the SASMI supplemental fund, vacation pay, disability benefits, vision coverage, legal services and access to the Union Building Trades Federal Credit Union — among other resources.

Local 25 holds jurisdiction over eight counties in Northern New Jersey: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Union.

Local 25 members are trained, certified and accountable. Hiring union sheet metal means hiring a workforce that meets the highest safety and skill standards in the industry — backed by a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee partnership that ensures contractors get the workforce the job requires.

Signatory contractors can request workers through our Referral Hall and Job Bank.

Non-signatory contractors can contact the President/Business Manager.

Yes. Local 25 is a member of the New Jersey State Building & Construction Trades Council, is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, and is a member of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) — a continentwide union with locals across the U.S. and Canada.

Local 25 and its JATC comply with all nondiscrimination and accessibility requirements. Read the Non-Discrimination Notice.

Be First to Know When Future Applications Open

The next window will be announced on social media first, and also here.