Astoria, NY (September 6, 2015) - The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for Laborers, Local Union #731, will conduct a recruitment from October 6, 2015 through October 20, 2015 for 30 skilled construction craft laborer apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced today. 

Applications will be available online at recruitment.local731.org from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, during the recruitment period.  Only 300 applications will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.  Applicants who do not have access to a computer should visit their local library or their nearest Department of Labor Career Center.

The Committee requires that applicants:

• Must be at least 18 years old. Proof will be required after selection and prior to indenture.
• Must have a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma (such as TASC or GED). Proof will be required after selection and prior to indenture.
• Must pass WorkKeys Applied Mathematics and Reading for Information Assessments.
• Must pass a drug test, at the expense of the sponsor, after selection and prior to indenture.
• Must have reliable transportation to and from various job sites and related instruction classes.
• Must submit, at the time of application, proof of any technical education, any trade-related adult or continuing education, and any trade-related and/or general work experience. (This includes contractor’s pay stubs or any other proof of work experience.)
• Must provide military transfer card or discharge form DD-214, if applicable.
• Must attend and complete a one-week pre-apprenticeship class, if selected. This includes classroom instruction in the practices of General Construction and a hands-on assessment, as follows:
• Excavating 4’x4’x2’ test pits by hand.
• Using a wheelbarrow to relocate excavated soil approximately 50 feet.
• Back-filling test pits and compacting soil in 12” lifts using plate tampers and jumping jack rammers.
• Filling sand bags and stacking them on a pallet.
• Relocating and restacking sand bags by hand onto another pallet approximately 50 feet away.

For further information, applicants should contact their nearest New York State Department of Labor office or Local Union #731 at 718-752-9860.

Apprentice programs registered with the Department of Labor must meet standards established by the Commissioner.  Under state law, sponsors of programs cannot discriminate against applicants because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, or marital status.  Women and minorities are encouraged to submit applications for apprenticeship programs.  Sponsors of programs are required to adopt affirmative action plans for the recruitment of women and minorities.