Getting into the trades.
Plain answers for people starting out, and for the shops that train them. Every fact links to where it came from.
Getting into the trades, pay, licenses and training.
- Electrical · 6 min
How to become an electrician on Long Island
The union and non-union ways in, what you need before you apply, and how licenses work in Nassau and Suffolk.
Read - Plumbing · 5 min
How to become a plumber on Long Island
How plumbing apprenticeships work in Nassau and Suffolk, what Local 200 has asked for in past recruitments, and the non-union route.
Read - Licenses · 4 min
How to get a master electrician license in Suffolk County
Who issues it, the seven years of experience you need before the exam, keeping it renewed, and how to start your paper trail now.
Read - Licenses · 4 min
Electrician and plumber licenses in Nassau County: who issues them
Nassau County doesn’t license electricians or plumbers; its towns, cities and villages do. How to work out which license you need.
Read - Getting started · 5 min
Apprenticeship vs. trade school: which one is right for you?
One pays you to learn, the other charges tuition. What each one gets you, who each one suits, and why many people do both.
Read - On FirstHand · 4 min
What is an open house, and how do you make it count?
What happens when you visit a shop, what to wear and bring, what to ask, and how to turn one visit into an invite back.
Read - Getting started · 5 min
Union vs. non-union apprenticeships on Long Island
When union programs take applications, how competitive they are, how non-union shops hire, and what to do while you wait for a window.
Read - Pay · 4 min
How much do apprentices and helpers make on Long Island?
The 2026 minimum wage, real 2025 pay for helpers and skilled trades in the New York metro area, and how apprentice pay grows.
Read - HVAC · 5 min
How to become an HVAC tech on Long Island
What the work is, the EPA 608 refrigerant certification, union and non-union routes on Long Island, and pay.
Read - Carpentry · 4 min
How to become a carpenter on Long Island
Rough and finish carpentry, the union apprenticeship open through November 2027 and how to apply, the non-union route, and pay.
Read - Welding · 4 min
How to become a welder on Long Island
What welders do, AWS certification, Nassau BOCES’s welding program, the union route, and pay.
Read - Getting started · 4 min
Pre-apprenticeship programs on Long Island
Free and low-cost training that gets you ready for a trade: PCALI’s plumbing course, high school programs, BOCES and career centers.
Read - Safety · 3 min
Do you need OSHA 10 before you start in the trades?
What the OSHA 10 card is, when New York law requires it, how New York City differs, and why it’s worth getting early.
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Hiring, training money, paperwork and running an apprenticeship.
- Money · 4 min
Does New York’s apprenticeship tax credit cover trade shops?
The Empire State Apprenticeship Tax Credit pays $2,000–$6,000 per apprentice a year, but it excludes most construction trades. What it pays, who qualifies, and the deadline.
Read - Money · 5 min
Getting paid to train a new hire on Long Island
On-the-job training programs reimburse part of a new hire’s wages. HempsteadWorks pays up to 50%, up to $10,000. How it works in Nassau and Suffolk.
Read - Programs · 5 min
How to register an apprenticeship program in New York
The state’s 8 steps, what you commit to (training outline, classes, wage schedule), group programs, and whether it’s worth it for a small shop.
Read - Paperwork · 4 min
What records to keep for your apprentices
What New York asks registered programs to keep, what “work processes” means, and the records worth keeping even if you aren’t registered.
Read - Hiring · 4 min
How to hire your first apprentice without a staffing agency
Where motivated beginners on Long Island are, why meeting them in person beats a resume, and how to set up pay and records from day one.
Read - Paperwork · 4 min
How to write an experience letter for an apprentice’s license
What licensing boards ask shop owners to confirm, what to include, and how to make the letter hold up, for Suffolk and Nassau licenses.
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