Sheet Metal Worker at Southeast Wyoming Sheet Metal Workers JATC

Time-BasedRegistered ApprenticeshipUnionPaid Training

at Southeast Wyoming Sheet Metal Workers JATC in Cheyenne, WY

About This Program

The Southeast Wyoming Sheet Metal Workers JATC sponsors a union sheet metal worker apprenticeship in Cheyenne, WY. This Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee program is employer-backed and serves apprentices in the southeastern Wyoming area, offering a formal union training pathway into the sheet metal trades.

Spanning five years, this time-based apprenticeship includes 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 640 hours of related technical instruction. Apprentices work with experienced journey-level sheet metal workers to learn fabrication, layout, and installation of HVAC systems, ductwork, ventilation equipment, and custom architectural metalwork. Technical classroom instruction addresses safety, print reading, applied math, and industry codes. All apprentices are paid while they train, with wages increasing each year as skills advance.

Successful completion earns graduates journey-level status as sheet metal workers under the union structure. Cheyenne and the surrounding southeast Wyoming region offer construction and industrial employment opportunities for credentialed journey workers, along with a foundation for long-term career advancement in the trades.

Wage & Training

Journeyman Wage

$26

BLS 2023

OJT Hours

8,000

Apprenticeship.gov 2025

RTI Hours

640

Apprenticeship.gov 2025

Duration

5 years

Apprenticeship.gov 2025

Wage data is the national median for this occupation (BLS, May 2023), not specific to this program.

Sheet Metal Worker Career Outlook

National Median

$26.33/hr

~$54,766.4/yr

Apprentice Start

$16/hr

Earn while you learn

Job Outlook

Sheet metal worker employment is expected to grow steadily, driven by HVAC system demand in new construction and energy-efficiency retrofits. The transition to high-efficiency systems and commercial building upgrades creates ongoing need for skilled fabricators and installers. Workers with welding and CAD skills have the strongest prospects.

What to Expect as a Sheet Metal Worker Apprentice

Duration

5 years of combined on-the-job training and classroom instruction

On-the-Job Training

~32 hours/week of hands-on work under journeyman supervision (8,000 total hours)

Classroom Instruction

640 hours of related technical instruction (~128 hours/year)

Paid Training

You earn a wage from day one, starting at a percentage of the journeyman rate and increasing as you progress

Time-based program: You'll progress through the program based on completing a set number of hours in both on-the-job training and classroom instruction.

This is a union-affiliated program. Union apprenticeships typically offer strong benefits packages, pension contributions, and structured career advancement through the local hall.

Trade School vs. Apprenticeship for Sheet Metal Worker

Apprenticeship

Cost$0 (earn while you learn)
Duration5 years
Starting wage$16.00/hr
Journeyman wage$26.33/hr
CredentialJourneyman card

Trade School

Cost$5,000–$20,000+
Duration6–24 months
Starting wageEntry-level
ExperienceHands-on labs
CredentialCertificate / diploma

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