The Work

Carpenters work with power and hand tools. They build forms for concrete and frame buildings, walls, footings, columns and stairs. Wood framing includes house-building, roofs, stairs, decking and sheathing. Carpenters install doors, windows, storefronts and handrails, build cabinets, counter tops and finished stair handrails. They also work on drywalling, wood flooring, metal jams and ceilings. 

Carpenters do interior and finish work, work with drywall and metal studs, install other interior systems, welding and many other related work processes. They also must read blueprints, and must measure accurately and calculate dimensions. They may be involved in the original construction or remodel of almost every kind of structure, including houses and commercial buildings, bridges, churches or factories, and highways. 

Working Conditions

The work is very physical and involves a good deal of standing, climbing, kneeling, lifting and squatting. Work is done both indoors and outdoors, depending on the stage and nature of construction and a person's area of emphasis. Location of the job site generally changes several times during the year. You may need to travel and relocate to take an available job. One day you may work inside where it is warm and dry and the next day outside where it is cold and wet. You may work in a hole 100 feet below ground or on scaffolds ten stories above ground. You must be in good health, meet certain strength requirements, be agile and have good hand-eye coordination. Work conditions vary with each job. Some are quite strenuous, while others such as cabinetry and finish work, are very delicate and precise. 

Wages and Benefits

In a registered apprenticeship program, the entry level apprentice salary will begin at 50 percent of journey-level scale with scheduled increases at intervals over a four-year period. On private work, both wages and benefits will differ by employer or trade union, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development report standard wage rates by occupation at the following location: http://www.labor.state.ak.us/research/wage/swoes.htm

Public work wages and benefits are standardized for all employers and can be determined by accessing Laborers' and Mechanics' Minimum Rates of Pay (Pamphlet 600).

The Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship provides entrants into the carpentry trade the opportunity to become journeypersons through an organized and properly supervised program of training, practical experience and related theoretical instruction. Both union and non-union programs are registered with and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services (ATELS). The hours required to complete a program, the minimum requirements for entrance into a program and the related instruction delivery method and curriculum will vary. Applicants are encouraged to research all available training options to determine the best opportunity and fit for their career.

To Apply

Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
360 W. Benson
Suite 200
Anchorage, AK  99503
Contact: Apprenticeship Director
(907) 565-5600 (phone)
(907) 565-5645 (fax)

Southern Alaska Carpenters (Local 1281, 2247, & 1501)
Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee
8751 King Street
Anchorage, AK 99502
Contact: Apprenticeship Coordinator
(907) 344-1541 (phone)
(907) 349-5823 (fax)
1-888-825-1541 (In state toll-free phone)
Crafts: Carpenter, Millwright, Lather

Northern Alaska Carpenters (Local 1243)
Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee
P.O. Box 71087
Fairbanks, AK 99707
Contact: Daniel Hoffman
(907) 452-4626 (phone)
(907) 456-5542 (fax)
Crafts: Carpenter, Millwright, Cabinetmaker

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