Curriculum
All UVA FM apprentices are responsible for successfully completing a National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)-based class curriculum as their classroom training. Classes are conducted on site and in person with an online portal used for the completion and submission of homework and quizzes. Classes are held during working hours and attendance is mandatory. Unavoidable absences must be approved in advance or as soon as possible following the absence.
Related technical instruction is classroom instruction, hands-on learning, textbook readings, and written exams that supplement an apprentice's on-the-job training to further hone their knowledge and skills. Classes, books, and technology that are a necessary part of the apprenticeship education are paid for by UVA Facilities Management. Additional education funds become available to all UVA employees after 6 months of fulltime employment.
New apprentices at UVA will enter one of the following skilled trades training programs:
- The Multi-Craft Program: Apprentices in the Multi-Craft Program will complete two professional certifications in four years: After two years, apprentices are eligible for their Maintenance Mechanic Certificate once the certification's classroom & on-the-job requirements have been satisfied. The final two years of the apprenticeship are spent specializing in a single trade: electrical, plumbing, or HVAC maintenance.
- The Single-Craft Program: Apprentices will spend all four years of their apprenticeship training in a single specialized trade. Currently, single-craft apprenticeships are offered for applicants that already have significant work experience in a specialized skilled trades area and/or for skilled trades occupations that see the most benefit from a full four years of training. Masonry and carpentry are examples of Single-Craft Programs within UVA Apprenticeship.
All apprentices receive hands-on experience through learning on-the-job from journey-level mentors, supervisors, and other colleagues who ensure the highest-quality facilities management for the University and UVA Health.
Upon completion of either of these programs, apprentices will have achieved journey-level skill and knowledge in their chosen trade and receive an Apprenticeship Certificate of Completion from the Commonwealth of Virginia. They will be eligible to sit for licensure in applicable trades (HVAC, plumbing, and electrical).
Evaluation & Completion
All UVA FM apprenticeships are hybrid, competency-based programs: An apprentice must complete a set range of work hours and demonstrate the ability to independently complete tasks listed on the program's applicable work process schedule, in addition to maintaining at least 80% in their coursework.
The Apprenticeship Program evaluates competency through hands-on and online assessments, with completed online learning modules reviewed by UVA FM subject matter experts, including program instructors and on-the-job trainers. In-house classes provide apprentices with information that complements their on-the-job training, giving them a well-rounded trades education and a reliable knowledge base.
Apprentices meet regularly with the Apprenticeship Program management team to review their progress and identify areas for improvement. Supervisors and apprentices also participate in quarterly progress assessments to identify and support apprentices' career goals and growth.
Apprenticeship Work Processes
Apprenticeship is a system of learning while earning, and “learning by doing.” Every registered apprenticeship program operates with work process schedules, or training standards agreed to by management as required by state and federal laws under which the apprentice works with a skilled tradesperson, gaining on-the-job skills and “know-how.”
Registered through the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, Virginia's state apprenticeship agency, the Apprenticeship Program at the University of Virginia is designed to establish and maintain high standards of work performance through the development of skilled employees using on-the-job training supplemented by related technical instruction. This program provides promotional opportunities for candidates and an avenue for entry into the skilled trades for those who have minimal or no training in the trades' field.
UVA's Apprenticeship Program model works to educate and certify apprentices through online classwork and adjudicated hands-on assessments overseen by standards from the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) while providing varied and unique on-the-job training experiences.
Over four years, apprentices receive a combination of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 hours of formalized instruction with classroom touchpoints. A Work Process Schedule is determined for each trade to guide on-the-job training during the program.