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WesTool Apprenticeship Program

Providing unique career opportunities in tool and die operations and mold-making

Successful Completion of a WesTool Apprenticeship=

Full-time employment (during and after apprenticeship)
Full health coverage, vacation, holidays, 401K and more
Hands-on career training
Continued education with 100% tuition reimbursement
Long-term career opportunities with no tuition debt
National industry certification

What Is a WesTool Apprenticeship?

This nondiscriminatory program is a four-year/8,000-hour apprenticeship combining paid work experience at WesTool with related course study in the technical aspects of the tool & die and mold-making trades. Those who complete the program, developed to meet standards of competence established by WesTool, will earn Certificates of Completion of Apprenticeship from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Apprenticeship & Training. WesTool looks forward to hiring those who complete the program as journeypersons with all the benefits and opportunities the title entails.

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An Opportunity to Succeed

Jason Hammons, 39

“I’m always doing something different.”

Jason Hammons was 20 when he entered the apprenticeship program. His father was a machinist, so Jason knew what he wanted to do. He mastered handwork and shearing/spotting during the apprenticeship and was hired at WesTool right away. He’s still there today – 18 years later – because he enjoys the variety, from working on extremely large molds to welding, operating CMMs, fabricating and more. And what he’s learned on the job goes home with him and helps him restore minibikes, work on vehicles and remodel his home.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions asked most frequently about apprenticeships in general. If your questions are not included here, please feel free to contact us

  • What is an apprenticeship?

    An apprenticeship combines on-the-job training with classroom study and hands-on learning, with the aim of becoming certified in a trade. It is a structured program guided by standards so the employer and the apprentice know just what is expected of them. 

  • What skills are learned?

    You’ll learn to:

    • Develop specifications from general descriptions and sketch design
    • Compute dimensions, plan layout, and determine assembly method and sequence of operations
    • Read blueprints, sketches, models or descriptions, and visualize product to determine materials and machines needed 
    • Measure, mark and scribe metal stock for machining
    • Set up and operate machine tools 
    • Fabricate and repair metalworking dies, cutting tools, jigs and fixtures, drill press, gauges and machinists’ hand tools 
    • Set up and operate lathes, milling machine, shaper and grinder
    • Verify dimensions, alignments and clearances using dial indicators, gauge blocks, thickness gauges and micrometers
    • Heat-treat tools or parts
    • Lift machined parts (manually or using hoists) and position and secure parts on surface plate or worktable using vises, V-blocks and angle plates
    • Smooth flat and contoured surfaces using scrapers, abrasive stones and power grinders
    • Fit and assemble parts together and into assemblies and mechanisms using hand tools
  • How long will it take?

    In a WesTool apprenticeship, you must complete on-the-job training totaling 8,000 hours or four (4) years, whichever is longer. You also must complete a course of study in subjects related to the trade for a minimum of 144 contact hours per year during your apprenticeship. 

  • How much will I be paid?

    If you are accepted into the program, you will be paid a competitive hourly wage that increases every six (6) months. You’ll also receive (benefits?) 

  • Where will I take classes?

    Your related courses will be taken through local community colleges. You must register and pay for your related study classes. You will be reimbursed for the course and lab fees if you earn a “C” or better. (You are not paid wages for your classroom time.) Costs for books and parking will not be reimbursed. 

    Classes and homework are to be completed outside regular work hours. 

  • How do I qualify?
    • You must have a high school diploma or GED certificate. 
    • You must be at least 18 years old.
    • You must be physically able to perform the work with reasonable accommodations without becoming a hazard to yourself or others. You may have to provide a doctor’s statement of physical condition at the time of the job offer. Applicants also may be required to undergo a drug and alcohol test.
  • Will I get a diploma or certificate when I complete the apprenticeship?

    When you have satisfactorily completed on-the-job training and the required related instruction, the Bureau of Apprenticeship & Training, U.S. Department of Labor, will issue you a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship.

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