Applying for the program
The Apprenticeship Office for Local 150 Operating Engineers has opened applications for the trades of Heavy Equipment Technician, Geothermal Well Driller, and Construction Building Inspector on a year-round basis. An application can be requested in person at the William E. Dugan Training Center or at any District Hall between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon, Monday through Friday. Applications are also available on Saturdays at the Training Center. A $25 application fee per program will be required at the time of request in the form of a money order only, made payable to “Local 150 Apprenticeship Fund.” Please note: All applicants must possess a valid driver’s license and the address on your driver’s license MUST MATCH the address on your application.
| a. | Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. |
| b. | Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED. The applicant will be required to provide high school transcripts for evaluation purposes. Transcripts of further education (technical school or college) should be submitted, as well. |
| c. | Be a resident of the jurisdictional area of Local 150. (see jurisdictional map) |
| d. | Applicants MUST possess a valid driver’s license that matches the address listed on the application. Drivers license must still be valid and match the address on the application at the time of selection. No other forms of identification will be accepted. |
| e. | A statement from a licensed physician stating physical ability to perform the work of the trades will be required 30 days after being indentured into the program. |
| f. | Applicants MUST be able to read, write, and speak the English language. |
| g. | Applicants will be required to undergo drug testing. |
Applications for the Heavy Equipment Operator remain on file for One-Year.
For example, if you apply for the Heavy Equipment Operator Apprenticeship Program in October of 2023, you will need to re-apply in October of 2024 if not accepted into the apprenticeship program prior to that time.
Applications for the Heavy Equipment Technician, Geothermal Well Driller, and Construction Building Inspectors Programs remain on file for Two-Years from the date they are scored and they’re status becomes “Active”.
| The initial Week-One evaluation consists of some classroom and hands-on exercises as well as an oral interview. |
After the evaluation process, we will make a final decision regarding new-hires for the apprenticeship program. An applicant who is evaluated and accepted into the program is called a “pre-apprentice.” The District Hall will be notified and you will be considered available to be dispatched to work. When a pre-apprentice has completed their first full day of work, an appointment will be made at the apprenticeship office to be indentured. Once a pre-apprentice is indentured, their status changes to apprentice and they will officially begin the apprenticeship program.
Apprenticeship
| The Local 150 Apprenticeship and Skill Improvement Program combines on-the-job paid training within the jurisdiction of your District Hall (Jurisdictional Map) along with classroom related instruction and hands-on practical training at the Local 150 training site in Wilmington, IL. (If you are hired, your District Hall would be determined by the address on your Driver’s license.) |
| An apprentice is an employee that earns a wage while learning a skilled trade through planned, supervised work on-the-job.The apprentice will at times have to spend time at the Training Center receiving related technical classroom instruction. |
| We accept applications for Heavy Equipment Repair Technicians, Geothermal Well Driller and Construction Material Inspectors year-round. Applications for Heavy Equipment Operator are available during the month of October at the times and locations listed on the schedule provided above, under “Applying for the program”. A $25 application fee per program will be required at the time of request in the form of a money order only, made payable to “Local 150 Apprenticeship Fund.” |
| Selection of apprentices under the programs shall be made from qualified applicants on the basis of qualifications alone, without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, or occupationally irrelevant physical requirements in accordance with the apprenticeship standards developed in conjunction with the United States Department of Labor. The programs shall be operated on a completely non-discriminatory basis. |
| It is your responsibility to follow-up with the apprenticeship office to confirm your application was processed and has an “active” status. The status of “active” means your application was evaluated and successfully completed. There is no guarantee of acceptance into the program; applicants are chosen and called in for an evaluation process based on the experience and qualifications the applicant provided in the application packet. |
| No, acceptance of an application and the status of “active” means your application was evaluated and complete. It means no items were missing from your packet. It does not mean you are an apprentice. You will be considered an apprentice once you have successfully completed an aptitude test, evaluation and have been dispatched to your first job. You will then be called in to the apprenticeship office to be indentured and at that time, you will be considered a Local 150 apprentice. |
Each of our programs include 6000 or more hours of On-the-Job Learning, 240 or more hours of Classroom instruction, and 192 hours or more of Field Instruction. There are also requirements of proficiencies and certifications that are unique to each of the 4 programs.
Approximate length of programs:
| 1. | Heavy Equipment Operator – 4+ Years |
| 2. | Heavy Equipment Technician – 5+ Years |
| 3. | Geothermal / Water Well Driller – 4+ Years |
| 4. | Construction and Building Inspector 4+ Years |
| Once your complete application has been received and is considered “active”, those applying for the “Operators Program” should expect a call to set up an appointment for an Aptitude Test. It is important to keep your phone number current and voice mail active. Those applying for the other programs will be kept on the selection list for the program that was applied for; as the work season approaches, the most qualified applicants will be called in for evaluation per their evaluation score. |
| There are no fee’s associated with our apprenticeship program outside of the $25.00 fee for the application. For the duration of your apprenticeship, you will earn a wage associated with the level of your apprenticeship while you are on the job. |
Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance into the apprenticeship. Local 150 has a large jurisdictional area covering Northern Illinois, Northern Indiana and the far east of Iowa. We are divided into 8-districts comprised of almost 50-counties. In order for us to start new apprentices, certain criteria must be met:
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| All completed applications are scored. During selection, we start with the highest scoring application and work our way down the list. A qualified application is one that is complete and contains all of the required documents. |
| The applicant is not paid while attending the evaluation. |
| First year apprentices typically start off at 50% of the current Journeyperson scale for the contract they are working under. |
| All Local 150 members (including apprentices) have Health Insurance as long as they meet the hour’s requirements. This means, once an apprentice has worked the required amount of hours during a rolling 12 month period, they will then be eligible to begin receiving Health Insurance Benefits. |
| Construction work is seasonal with no guarantees. Yes, there will be lay-offs. |
As with any type of career, only the most qualified applicants are selected. There are many things that can contribute to a solid application.
| a. | Submit a detailed resume along with your application packet. |
| b. | Experience relative to the Construction Trades (Equipment Operator, Mechanic, etc.). |
| c. | Completion of vocational / technical types of classes: Building Trade courses, mechanical courses, carpentry, drafting, electronics, technology, machine shop, etc. |
| d. | Certificates of Completion: OSHA, First Aid, Welding, Diesel Technician, etc. |
| e. | Military Service. |