Apprenticeships Program

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Apprenticeships Program

Lakeside Industries is eager to help with the education and training of those who are entering the trades. Lakeside participates in apprenticeship programs in conjunction with local trade unions to train new employees and offer education for field staff. Programs are available to those interested in becoming Laborers, Operating Engineers, and Teamsters. 

While in the program, the apprentice gets hands-on experience through technical instruction, supervised on-the-job training, and steadily increasing pay as they make their way through the program.

Most of our leaders started in field positions. Apprenticeships offer comprehensive education and on-the-job experience. Graduates of apprenticeship programs have opportunities for rewarding well-paid careers in the construction industry.

Considering a career in trades? Find out what local trade unions we partner with and how to apply to their programs below!

Apprenticeships Serving Centralia & NW Washington

Apprenticeships Serving Longview, Vancouver, and Portland:

Why Join Lakeside

We Care About Our People & The Communities We Live In

Ask anyone who works at Lakeside to describe our culture and you’ll more than likely hear the word “Family”. Lakeside is more than a workplace, it’s a place where we care about each other. Whether you’re from a family that has worked here for generations, coming fresh from a trade school, or anywhere in between, you will be welcomed into the Lakeside Family.

We not only care deeply about our immediate Lakeside Family, but we also care about the communities we live and work in. We take pride in building and connecting the roads, bridges, and airports in the communities where we live. Recruiting and employing people in these communities creates better engagement – empowering our employees to take pride in making a difference in their own neighborhoods. Additionally, Lakeside is proud to support various local community organizations, through both donations and volunteering. 

Lakeside believes in giving back to the communities where we live, operate, and work.  

We Care for Each Other

At Lakeside we believe that enjoying the people we work with and what we do makes all the difference. We have a culture where people are excited to come to work. Through our positive and fun work environment, we work hard as a team to accomplish our goals and go out of our way to take care of each other. This is our secret sauce and one of the many reasons people stay at Lakeside as long as they do. We take great pride in our employee retention and longevity.

We provide opportunities for growth

Employees at Lakeside have the opportunity to create and build long-lasting, successful, and meaningful careers. Many of our employees in key leadership roles started their careers in the field with a shovel and rake in hand. 

Our people truly are our best asset. We have the hardest-working, smartest, and most talented people in the industry. To help our employees reach their career goals, we provide training, and mentoring to set up plans for success. This allows us to promote from within, staying true to the values we have worked so hard over the years to uphold. 

Apprenticeship FAQ

To be a successful apprentice in the construction industry, a person needs to be a team player, have a strong work ethic, be reliable, and have the willingness to learn and grow.

It depends on the trade you are entering!

Operating Engineers: High school diploma, GED, or other high school equivalency. If you do not meet the required education, you can apply for a waiver. To be eligible for the education waiver, you must provide documentation that you have worked for 2+ years in the construction industry and reach a score of 70% or higher on the Math and Reading assessment exams given by the Operating Engineers Apprenticeship.

Laborers: Proof that you have completed at least the tenth grade of high school.

Teamsters: No formal prior education is required. Must be able to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records.

Each apprenticeship has its own application process, here are links to the apprenticeships we support provided by our signatory unions:

Apprenticeships Centralia North:

Laborers Apprenticeship

Operating Engineers Apprenticeship

Teamsters Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Longview, Vancouver, and Portland:

Laborers Apprenticeship

Operating Engineers Apprenticeship

Previous enrollment in a pre-apprenticeship program is not required. But if you do not have any previous experience in construction, pre-apprenticeship training can make you a better candidate for the apprenticeship you are applying for.

Prior construction experience is not required but makes you a better candidate for the apprenticeship you are applying for.

It depends on the program. Lakeside Industries employs apprentices in the Operating Engineers’, Laborers’, and Teamsters’ apprenticeships. Their working hours to completion of their programs are:

Operating Engineers: 6000 hours

Laborers: 6000 hours

Teamsters: 3000 hours

Operating Engineers, Laborers, and Teamsters

There are open shop apprenticeships available in Washington state. Lakeside Industries cannot employ them due to contractual obligations to our partner unions.

There are many routes to union participation.

  • If you have no previous construction experience, you can apply directly to the apprenticeship program of your choice or participate in pre-apprenticeship training for an improved chance of acceptance.
  • If you are new to construction and need more training to reach journey-level skill, an apprenticeship is there to meet your needs.
  • If you have many years in the construction industry and can work at the journey level contact your nearby local and talk to them about joining.

These options will get you into a union and there will be a chance of being dispatched to Lakeside Industries.

A more direct route to field employment at Lakeside Industries would be if you see a position advertised on our website and feel you have the skills to fill the role, apply. In the cases where we advertise open positions, we can hire you and get you signed up with the appropriate union for your craft.

Testimonials

What it's like working at Lakeside