High School to TradesMeet Philly's unions
Every building-trades local in the city — what a day in each trade looks like, the jobs in it, how to get in, and how to reach them. Every fact comes from the union's own pages; where a union doesn't publish a fact, the card says so.
Steamfitters Local 420
A day in the life
The day can start on scaffolding in a half-built high-rise, blueprints open, measuring and cutting pipe that will one day carry steam and hot water through the whole building — and end across town at a hospital or chemical plant, servicing the systems that keep it running. In the local's second trade, the day is spent repairing the compressors, condensers, and cooling towers behind commercial air conditioning.
Members install and service the piping behind steam and hot-water heat, chemical plants, and the environmental systems in hospitals, schools, and high-rises — joining pipe by soldering, brazing, and welding. The second trade, Mechanical Equipment Service, keeps commercial air conditioning and refrigeration running.
Jobs in it
The way in
5-year apprenticeship (both trades). Two classes a year, applied for in person at the Training Center: the February class — complete application due the last Friday in October — and the August class, due the last Friday in April. Current high school seniors can apply for the August class. 18+, high school diploma or GED, valid driver's license.
Union office: (267) 350-4200.
Sources: lu420.com/about.aspx · www.lu420.com/training.aspx?zone=training&pID=2364 · www.lu420.com/training.aspx?zone=training&pID=2365
IBEW Local 98 — Electricians
Philadelphia's electrical workers. In the local's own words, its members range “from apprentices to journeymen” and are “the best trained electricians and technicians” — its site publishes no more concrete detail than that, so this card stays short rather than filling the gap with guesses.
Jobs in it
The way in
Not published Program length, application window, and training address are not published on the local's site. Training runs through the local's ATEI program, linked from its training page. Next step: ibew98.org/training
Sources: www.ibew98.org · www.ibew98.org/training
Plumbers Local 690
Applications will not be offered in 2026
A day in the life
A plumber's day can run from underground ditch work — laying sanitary, storm, and water lines — up to elevated pipe runs and final fixture connections, in buildings from airports and sports arenas to bio research labs, power plants, and homes. Most of the work is commercial, year-round, inside and out, in all weather.
Members install and repair piping systems and equipment, from layout to final fixtures: drainage, waste and venting, water supply, gas piping — soldering, brazing, and welding.
Jobs in it
The way in
5-year program — 2,000 hours a year on the job plus 224+ classroom hours a year. In a normal cycle, applications are picked up in person in the 2nd and 3rd weeks of January (photo ID; testing fee by check or money order), followed by testing and an interview.
Sources: plumbers690.org/about.aspx · www.plumbers690.org/training.aspx
Sprinkler Fitters Local 692
Applications open Nov 2–5 and Nov 9–12, 2026
Pickup windows for this cycle: November 2–5 and November 9–12, 2026, 8:00 AM–1:00 PM (also 4:30–6:30 PM on Wednesdays Nov 4 and 11), at the Training Center, 14004 McNulty Rd.
A day in the life
One day can be spent installing pipe in a new high-rise; the next, inspecting and testing systems in a hospital or a shopping center — and some days end on an emergency repair call, because fire protection doesn't keep office hours.
Members design, install, inspect, test, and service fire sprinkler systems — “from homes to high rises” — including biotech clean rooms, restaurants, and nursing homes.
Jobs in it
The way in
5-year program — 10,000 job-site hours plus 880+ classroom hours. Applications are picked up in person at the Training Center; $25 fee by check or money order. 18+, diploma or GED; aptitude test and oral exam.
Sources: sprinklerfitters692.org/training.aspx?zone=training&pID=5100 · www.sprinklerfitters692.org/news.aspx?zone=homepage&nID=10372
Sheet Metal Workers Local 19
Philadelphia applications are currently closed
A day in the life
The day can be spent in the shop fabricating duct and architectural metal — stainless steel, aluminum, copper, zinc — or on site installing the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems that run through homes, businesses, and industrial plants. The local represents 4,300+ workers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Members provide the craftspeople for the residential, commercial, and industrial sheet metal industry: HVAC, sheet metal fabrication, and architectural metal installation.
Jobs in it
The way in
The online application can still be filled out, As of the October 2026 check, no date had been set for Fall 2026 aptitude testing. When applications process: online application and document upload, then an aptitude test, then a personal interview. Length: between four and five years (Local 19's own wording; its Philadelphia pages also say 4½ years, and four years with 864 classroom hours in the accreditation section — the local doesn't reconcile them). Fee: $10 at the Philadelphia Training Center, per its current how-to-apply; the local's main apprenticeship page lists $50. The local publishes both and explains neither — confirm the fee when applications reopen.
Sources: www.smartlu19.org/apprenticeship · www.smartlu19.org/philadelphia-training-center
Iron Workers Local 401
A day in the life
Ironworkers are the professionals who build the bridges, buildings, stadiums, hospitals, and schools of Southeastern Pennsylvania — erecting structural steel, welding, and rigging loads, learning on live job sites from day one.
Members do structural steel erection, welding, and rigging for the region's buildings and infrastructure, trained through job-site experience combined with classroom instruction.
Jobs in it
Journey-level titles aren't listed on the local's site.
The way in
4-year nationally registered apprenticeship — work from day one at union wages and benefits, raises every 12 months, no experience necessary.
Not published Application window — the local's site publishes no window or dates. The program itself is described on the local's homepage. Next step: Contact the hall, (215) 676-3000.
Sources: www.local401.com
Carpenters — Eastern Atlantic States
Philadelphia Training Center: applications temporarily suspended (waitlist)
A day in the life
A carpenter's day depends on the craft: framing and finishing buildings, machining as a millwright, building cabinets and millwork, laying floors, driving piles, or working heavy-highway jobs — skills built across classroom instruction and on-the-job training.
Philadelphia-area carpenters are covered by a regional council — 25 locals, 43,000+ members — spanning general carpentry, millwright, mill/cabinet, floor layer, pile driver, and heavy-highway work. Training runs through the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Technical Centers (EASCTC).
Jobs in it
The way in
4-year apprenticeships. First register for an Information Session — registrants are waitlisted and emailed when pulled — then documents, a personal interview, and a math / skills assessment. Other locations are still accepting applications.
Council office: 5 Crescent Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19112 · (215) 569-1634.
Sources: eascarpenters.org · www.eascarpenterstech.edu/pennsylvania/apply-philadelphia-allentown
Operating Engineers Local 542
A day in the life
Operating engineers are the heavy side of construction — heavy equipment operators and mechanics whose workplaces include quarries, landfills, equipment dealers, shipyards, breweries, mills, airports, bridges, and public works across Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Local 542, representing Eastern PA and Delaware since 1935, is a blend of heavy equipment operators and mechanics in the building and construction industry.
Jobs in it
The way in
Not published Program length, application window, and training site — the local's apprenticeship committee (JATC) page did not yield its program details. The local runs journey and apprentice training. Next step: Call the hall, (215) 542-7500.
Sources: www.iuoe542.com
Elevator Constructors Local 5
A day in the life
The day is spent assembling, installing, and replacing the machines that move buildings vertically — elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, moving walkways — in high-rise offices, hotels and casinos, power plants, and resorts, plus modernization and service and inspection work.
Local 5 (chartered 1900, 1,000+ members) covers elevator construction across Southeast Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and parts of Delaware: new construction, modernization, service, maintenance, and inspections. Training is the national NEIEP program.
Jobs in it
The way in
NEIEP (National Elevator Industry Educational Program) apprenticeship, 4–5 years — 2,000 work hours a year plus 100–200 classroom hours; after 8,000 hours, apprentices can sit the mechanic exam. Apply through NEIEP's Opportunities page when a recruitment opens, then the EIAT (Elevator Industry Aptitude Test) and an interview. 17 to apply, 18 to register; diploma or GED at hire.
Not published A Local 5–specific application window — none is published. Recruitments are posted nationally by NEIEP. Next step: neiep.org — Opportunities.
Sources: iuec5.org · iuec5.org/training.aspx · www.neiep.org
Insulators Local 14
A day in the life
The day is spent wrapping the systems other trades install — insulating heating and air-conditioning systems and plumbing pipes in power plants, chemical and pharmaceutical plants, hospitals, schools, and high-rises — working with fiberglass, calcium silicate, and foamed rubber, plus firestopping, and asbestos and mold abatement work.
Members do mechanical insulation for industrial and commercial settings, firestopping, and environmental services including asbestos and mold abatement.
Jobs in it
Journey-level titles aren't named on the program pages.
The way in
5-year apprenticeship; semesters begin each March and September (10 classes and 900 on-the-job hours per semester). Before placement with a union contractor, prospective apprentices complete Safety I and Supervisor Asbestos Abatement classes.
Not published Application window — none is published on the program pages. The program structure and prerequisites are published by the training committee (JAC). Next step: insulators14jac.com
Sources: www.local-14.org · insulators14jac.com/about-program.php
Bricklayers Local 1 PA/DE
Bricklayers and allied craftworkers — “Building the Delaware Valley since 1865.” One concrete example of the craft from the local's own site: Local 1 members built the Barnes Museum in Philadelphia, exterior walls of fossilized Israeli limestone with German limestone flooring. Apprentice School sessions run at the union hall.
Classifications aren't named on the local's official pages.
The way in
Not published Program length, application window, and application steps — the local's site publishes none of them. The hall hosts recurring Apprentice School sessions. Next step: bac-1.org
Sources: bac-1.org
Painters & Allied Trades — District Council 21
A day in the life
The finishing trades put the final face on a building: painting and coating everything from the Pennsylvania Convention Center and the Kimmel Center to large industrial sites, hanging wallcoverings, finishing drywall until the seams disappear — the last hands on almost every project.
IUPAT District Council 21 represents 6,000+ members in the finishing trades across the Philadelphia region, New Jersey, and Delaware. Training runs through the Finishing Trades Institute of the Mid-Atlantic Region (FTI-MAR) — “earn as you learn.”
Jobs in it
The way in
Applications are online, any time; the Wonderlic test runs quarterly ($35 fee). Be ready with documents: transcripts or GED (a diploma alone isn't accepted), three recommendation letters from non-family members, and three essays of at least 250 words. Test, interview, and essays set your rank; offers follow trade need. Program length varies by trade — there is no single figure.
DC 21 locals: 2980 Southampton Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19154.
Sources: www.dc21.org/about-dc-21 · www.fti.edu/all-trades-application
Glaziers Local 252
A day in the life
A glazier's day means measuring and installing the metal frames and glass that skin a building — cutting and setting panes, storefronts, skylights, display cases, and shower enclosures — lifting panels up to 75 lbs., working outdoors and at height on scaffolds, swing stages, and lifts.
Glaziers cut, fabricate, install, and remove glass and glass products, including weatherproofing and joint sealants. Local 252 sits inside District Council 21, and its apprentices train through FTI-MAR — there is no separate Local 252 application.
Jobs in it
The way in
4 years of paid on-the-job training (160+ classroom hours a year) through the FTI-MAR All Trades application — the same route as District Council 21. An associate degree in glazing (60 credits, 6,000 on-the-job hours) is also offered at the Philadelphia FTI.
Local 252: 2980 Southampton Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19154.
Sources: www.dc21.org/about-dc-21 · www.fti.edu/glazier · www.fti.edu/all-trades-application
Roofers Local 30
A day in the life
Roofers learn every system that keeps a building dry — from low-slope built-up roofing to single-ply membranes — training hands-on on real job sites under supervision, with classroom work at the training center and OSHA 10 safety training in the first year.
Members install roofing and waterproofing across the region; apprentices train on the job with union contractors and study the trade at the Apprenticeship School.
Jobs in it
The way in
Not published Program length and an application window — neither is published on the local's site. The route in is the Apprenticeship Form on the Join page, or contact the training center. Next step: rooferslocal30.com — Join page.
The Apprenticeship School has moved to Gloucester City, NJ. Hall: 6447 Torresdale Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19135 · (215) 331-8770.
Sources: www.rooferslocal30.com/member-resources/training · www.rooferslocal30.com/join-us
Laborers — LIUNA Philadelphia District Council
Local 332 is not accepting applications at this time
A day in the life
Laborers are the backbone crews of heavy construction: building, maintaining, and upgrading the region's roads, bridges, and highways, plus commercial and industrial building, underground and sewer and water work, and demolition. Local 57's work is mostly heavy and highway, then utility work, then private industry from manufacturing to quarries.
There is no single Philly laborers' local — a District Council covers Locals 57, 135, 332, and 413 across the five counties, 5,000+ members. Construction Craft Laborers do the groundwork every other trade builds on.
Jobs in it
The way in
Not published A current application window — the council's site posts none today, and the only full flyer is from 2023 (its dates are stale and are not published here). The most recent documented window ran in person at 1333 N Broad St, Philadelphia, in February 2026. Next step: Training info: 610-524-0404 x1208 · myldctraining.com.
Training Schools: 1333 N Broad St, Philadelphia · 500 E Lincoln Hwy, Exton, PA. Local 57 Hall: 500-506 N 6th St, Philadelphia · (215) 928-8857.
Sources: www.liunamidatlantic.org/philadelphia-vicinity-laborers-district-council · www.laborerslocal57.org
Boilermakers Local 13
Applications accepted continuously online
A day in the life
Boilermakers fabricate, install, and repair the big vessels that hold liquids and gases — boilers, tanks, process towers, smokestacks — welding at heights from 200 to 1,000 feet in power plants (nuclear, fossil, hydro), refineries, steel and paper mills, and shipyards. The work is contract-based and can mean travel.
Members do heavy industrial construction and maintenance: high-pressure and structural welding and cutting, rigging and hoisting, steel fabrication and erection, inspection and testing. Local 13's apprenticeship runs through the Boilermakers Northeast Area Apprenticeship Program (NEAAC).
Jobs in it
The way in
About 4 years — a minimum of 6,000 working hours plus at least 144 classroom hours a year. Applications are accepted continuously online through NEAAC; lists are reviewed quarterly and applicants stay on the list for two years. 18+, diploma or GED. Welding proof isn't required, but documented welding skill earns priority selection.
NEAAC: (860) 569-8368.
Sources: boilermakersapprenticeship.com · boilermakersapprenticeship.com/applicants · boilermakersapprenticeship.com/faqs
Cement Masons & Plasterers Local 592
A day in the life
Since 1916, Local 592 members have done the major concrete work of this area — in the local's words, “power plants and high rises, bridges and highways, sidewalks and curbs are all our legacy.” Cement masons pour and finish the concrete; plasterers coat the walls.
The local represents cement masons, plasterers, and shop hands across Eastern Pennsylvania — it absorbed five regional locals in the 1990s, South Jersey's Local 699 in 1999, and Local 8 in 2015.
Jobs in it
The way in
Applications run February 1–March 15 only: return the form to the hall with a $10 fee (cash or money order), a copy of a valid driver's license, and diploma/transcripts or GED; 18+. Interviews are scheduled in late March–early April — missing yours disqualifies you, as does an interview score under 70%; drug screening required.
Not published Program length — the local's official site states no term for either trade. The full application rules are published on the local's own application form. Next step: Ask the local, 215-468-0238.
Hall / application return: 2843 Snyder Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19145.
Sources: opcmia592.com · opcmia592.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APPRENTICE-APPLICATION.pdf