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Apprenticeship Openings This Week (Oct 20, 2026)

By

Lester Burkes

· Dean of Trades, Transportation & Apprenticeship · U.S. Army Veteran ·

Updated

Here’s what’s open right now across Washington, Oregon and California, plus a few dates coming up. Every program below is on our free trackers, which we recheck every week.

Washington

  • Operating Engineers (IUOE 302 & 612): heavy equipment operator, statewide. Applications close Fri, Nov 6 at 5 p.m. All documents are due by the deadline. Apply →

See all 113 Washington programs →

Oregon

  • Area I Inside Electrical JATC (Portland): inside electrician. Closes Thu, Oct 29. Apply in person Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Application →
  • IEC of Oregon – Limited Energy: limited energy technician, statewide. Closes Fri, Nov 13. Apply →
  • Area V Inside Electrical JATC (Southern Oregon): inside electrician. The program says applications are open through Mon, Dec 14, but the state’s listing disagrees, so confirm with the program first.
  • Drywall finishers (District Council 5): open year-round outside Portland/Vancouver. Details →
  • ABC Pacific Northwest – Sheet Metal (Portland): accepting applications now, no deadline posted. Apply →

Oregon’s state apprenticeship office lists 29 more programs as accepting applications right now. See all 108 Oregon programs →

California

  • ABC San Diego: electrical and other crafts (non-union). Applications open now, no deadline posted. Apply →
  • Tri-County Electrical JATC (IBEW 234, Castroville): inside wireman, applications by mail only. Must be received or postmarked by Fri, Dec 18 to qualify for the February 2027 aptitude test. Details →
  • Northern California Cement Masons (Livermore): applications open now, no closing date posted. Apply →
  • Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Alliance: CNC machining and other manufacturing apprenticeships, accepting applications now. Apply →
  • Coming up: UA Local 62 (Monterey/Santa Cruz plumbers and pipefitters) holds its next application day Wed, Dec 2. Applications are taken only from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. that morning.
  • Already applied to a Southern California Laborers program? October is a check-in month. Call (626) 610-1700 or your application can be dropped.

See all 181 California programs →

New: free mechanical aptitude practice test

A lot of apprenticeships and utility jobs test mechanical aptitude before they interview you. I built a free 30-question practice test with gears, pulleys, levers, hydraulics and more. Take the practice test →

Know a program we’re missing?

Reply to this email or leave a comment on this post and tell me. I’ll add it to the tracker.

Lester Burkes

About the author

Lester Burkes

Lester is the Dean of Trades, Transportation and Apprenticeship at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood, Washington, where he oversees nine trades programs and two apprenticeships. He’s a U.S. Army veteran and former Army diesel mechanic, taught Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technology at Bates Technical College from 2016 to 2021, and founded CPTC’s Eastside Training Center, growing it from 3 students to more than 400. He holds a Master of Education from the University of Washington Tacoma.

More about Lester → · Views expressed here are his own.

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