Ironworker at The International Association of Bridge & Structural Ironworkers - Local 433

The International Association of Bridge & Structural Ironworkers Local 433 sponsors this union ironworker apprenticeship based in La Palma, CA. As a JATC program, it combines employer-backed on-the-job training with structured classroom instruction, preparing apprentices for careers in one of the construction industry's most skilled and physically demanding trades.

The program runs for four years and includes 6,000 hours of paid on-the-job training alongside 576 hours of related technical instruction. Apprentices learn to erect steel structures, place and tie reinforcing bars, rig and signal crane loads, install metal decking, and work safely at elevation on bridges, high-rises, and other major structures. Classroom coursework covers blueprint reading, rigging theory, structural steel knowledge, and safety standards.

Upon completing the apprenticeship, graduates earn journeyman ironworker status — a nationally recognized credential that opens doors to steady, well-compensated work on commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects throughout California and beyond. Because apprentices are paid from day one, they build trade skills and income simultaneously throughout the four-year program.