If electrical equipment sparks your interest, charge ahead toward a satisfying apprenticeship and successful career as an electrician. Our Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship program teaches you the skills to install, repair, modify and maintain electrical systems that power the equipment that makes lives better and brighter.
Programs
HVAC
Is your future up in the air? Focus your energy on pursuing an HVAC career. In the HVAC Pre-Apprenticeship program, you will receive the hands-on training to install, repair, service and troubleshoot a full range of both residential and commercial air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems to keep people comfortable.
Plumbing
Clear the way to career success as a licensed plumber. Get started by enrolling in the Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship program, which prepares you for a plumbing apprenticeship by providing hands-on training in plumbing practices, safety, tool usage, blueprint interpretation and maintenance of plumbing systems to tap into a brighter future.
Carpentry
Have you always wanted to build a career in carpentry? The Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship program prepares you to enter a construction apprenticeship program by introducing you to the construction tools, techniques, language and calculations essential for crafting a solid career in the carpentry industry.
Pipe Fitting
Becoming a pipe fitter can be a pipeline to success. The Pipe Fitting Pre-Apprenticeship program teaches you how to measure, construct, install, repair and maintain piping systems to prepare you to skillfully enter an apprenticeship program and connect with a network of industry employers.
Sprinkler Fitter
Change your life by saving the lives and property of others. The Sprinkler Fitter Pre-Apprenticeship program provides you with hands-on training in designing, installing and repairing automatic fire protection systems to gain entry into an apprenticeship program and a career that lets you spend your life saving others.
A Program for Every Passion
Florida Trade Academy is a six-month registered pre-apprenticeship program sponsored by ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) Florida Gulf Coast Chapter. Our pre-apprenticeship program is designed to prepare trainees with the hands-on training, practical skills, and core courses needed for career success and satisfaction in the trades with little to no debt. Our hybrid program gives trainees the flexibility to fit their education into their busy lives.
Upon successful completion of our program, trainees earn Core and Level 1 *NCCER trade certifications as well as *2,000 hours of on-the-job training credit, which qualifies them for employment with an ABC Florida Gulf Coast member organization that can sponsor their continued education as a registered apprentice, so they can earn while they learn. The program emphasizes the skills necessary to be successful in school and in the workforce.
Trade School Stats
The number of students entering trade schools has increased by more than 100% over the past five years.
— U.S. Bureau of Labor
There is a shortage of skilled laborers in the United States.
— Society of Human Resources, 2019 report
Approximately 40% of college students drop out before completing their degree, while less than 2% of trade schools don’t complete their programs.
— StrataTech Education Group, 2019 survey
Trade school costs are relatively cheaper than traditional college education as courses can be completed faster.
— Career School Now
Students who attend trade school graduate with an average of $10,000 of debt, has while students who attend college collect an average student debt of $36,327.
— Trent Hamm, Founder of The Simple Dollar
Program-specific trade school graduates have an average entry-level annual salary of over $35,000.
— National Center For Educational Statistics
The average annual wage in vocational tracks in the government is $51,340.
— Applied Educational Systems
