The Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Union is committed to providing an adequate supply of trained insulation mechanics with the competitive skills necessary to meet industry needs now and in the future.

The goal of the apprentice program is to provide the highest level of training to apprentices, in order that they may assume positions as fully-qualified journeymen ready to meet the professional challenges of the insulation industry.

The program is structured for entry-level workers, as well as for insulation workers already employed within the industry who wish to upgrade their skills and to advance to journeyman status, at the same time benefiting from membership in the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Union.

The apprenticeship program emphasizes on-the-job training and classroom instruction, as well as the use of textbooks and other course materials that give participants a thorough knowledge of the trade.

As an apprentice, you will be assigned to work for an insulation contractor. During your apprenticeship, you will work side by side with experienced journeymen who understand the practical application and theory.

As you progress through each year of the program, the tasks you are assigned will become more complicated and your work will require less supervision. Gradually, your sense of pride, independence and self-confidence will grow as you accomplish increasingly difficult tasks with less assistance and instruction.

In addition, your earnings will be adjusted upward each year to reflect your advancing skills and increasing knowledge of the trade. The average starting wage for 1st year apprentices is 50% of the mechanics wage rate plus fringe benefits. In recent years, unionized insulation mechanics earned average wages of $22 per hour plus health insurance and pension plans.

When you are not at the jobsite, you will be attending classes taught by highly qualified instructors chosen for their extensive knowledge and expertise.

Upon completion of your apprenticeship, you will take an examination to demonstrate your mastery of the knowledge and skills you've been taught. Passage of this test is necessary to obtain journeyman status.

This is the apprenticeship experience, "practical - hands on" learning, backed up by excellent classroom instruction and course materials. And you won't have to wait to complete your training to begin earning a living. You will earn while you learn, placing you on an immediate path toward economic security and stability.

The Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Union is seeking individuals who meet the basic qualifications for apprenticeship: persons who are 18 years of age preferably with a high school education.

Applicants are not required to have taken specific high school courses; however, course in woodworking and mechanical drawing provide a strong educational foundation for insulation work. Algebra and geometry courses are excellent preparation for learning to read blueprints. A general science or physics course will enhance your understanding of how heat and sound are conducted.

In addition to these basic qualifications, the Union is seeking candidates who have a desire to learn and progress, who take pride in true craftsmanship, and who will experience life-long satisfaction in doing a job well.

If you are such an individual, membership in the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Union may be the most intelligent career choice you can make, a decision that offers a lifetime of personal and professional fulfillment.

As you make your decision, consider carefully the career advantages and opportunities available to you in the unionized sector of the insulation industry.

You will be a partner in one of the most dynamic and fastest growing industries in America, one that has always provided an excellent income and has an outstanding record of steady employment. You will have highly-specialized training and skills that will be in great demand for many years to come.

And you will have the support and representation of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers - an organization dedicated to ensuring the health, safety and economic well-being of its workers and whose members have a distinguished reputation within the construction industry.

The Union looks forward to what you, as a qualified candidate for apprenticeship, have to offer to the insulation industry. In return, we offer you the opportunity to earn, learn and advance as a fully-trained insulation mechanic.

A Local Union representative near you will answer any additional questions you may have about Union membership and the apprenticeship program. If there is no Local Union office in your area, contact the Union's national headquarters at the following address: The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, 9602 M. L. King Jr. Hwy.,  Lanham, Maryland  20706. A Union representative will assist you in locating the local near you.