Yes, no matter where you are in life.  If you are still in high school, School to Apprenticeship (STA) is an agreement  with business, industry, education, government, parents and you, a young person who knows the opportunities of apprenticeship and wants to go directly into a career without closing the door on their education. Most school districts have STA opportunities. Check with your high school counselor or career & technical education teacher at your local high school. Remember you have to graduate high school.

For others with a diploma or GED you too can be an apprentice. You must have the same dedication however; the rewards last a lifetime. Contact a Job Center near you or ask your employer if they would like to sponsor apprenticeship where you work.


When preparing for a career many students, parents and school districts have found the information contained in the career cluster model helpful. You can see it at careerclusters.org Click here to visit website. There you will see that pathways are broad groups of industries with similar occupations, let us say Health Care. Within this pathway, the occupation of Surgical Tech is located. You can see a video of this occupation highlighted on our home page http://earnandlearnak.org/ and hear additional information from the employer.

To begin creating a “plan” or “program of studies” think about modeling your education through high school and on to your career, here is an example for Surgical Tech Click here. Many school districts have customized the chart to support local instruction, check with your high school.

Ask your high school counselor or career & technical education teacher about using career clusters and what programs of study are available in your school district.

Another planning tool for Alaskans is the Alaska Career Information System, Click here to visit website. Here you will find statewide resources for careers and education in Alaska.

Who to Contact for Assistance:

Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Office of Apprenticeship, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit your local Alaska Job Center staff who can help you identify apprenticeable occupations and help you prepare for your future. You may also call (877) 724-2539 or visit Web site www.jobs.alaska.gov for information.