About the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS)
Our Mission
The DAS creates opportunities for Californians to obtain skills leading to gainful employment and provides employers with a highly skilled and experienced workforce while strengthening California's economy.
The division carries out this mission by administering California apprenticeship law and enforcing apprenticeship standards regarding wages, hours, working conditions, and the specific skills required for state certification as a journeyperson in an occupation that is appropriate for apprenticeship.
DAS has two goals: matching the needs of workers in the acquisition of skills that allow them to obtain and keep a well-paying job with those of employers seeking motivated workers with the skills they need for open positions; and strengthening the alliance among industry, labor, education, and government to recruit workers and teach them the skills needed to support industry. Because it is funded and driven by industry’s needs, the apprenticeship system provides an effective balance between learning by doing and theoretical instruction and developing workers with marketable skills.
Partnership Is the Foundation of California's Apprenticeship System
California's apprenticeship system represents a partnership among industry, labor, education, and government. DAS promotes apprenticeship training through the creation of partnerships, consults with program sponsors and monitors programs to ensure high standards for on-the-job (OJT) training and supplemental classroom instruction. Through this effort, the retiring skilled workforce is replenished with new skilled workers to keep California's economic engine running strong.
This system of training is efficient and cost effective because it eliminates expensive recruitment programs for people who are already trained, creates a diversified and flexible pool of employees with desired skills, and reduces costs of high labor turnover.
Employees show high morale and company loyalty when an apprenticeship program offers upward mobility through career development and adapts to include training for new skills in demand by industry.
Local Consultation on New Apprenticeships
From offices around the state, DAS consultants work locally with employers—and their collective bargaining partners where applicable—to develop new apprenticeship programs, determining the length of training and specific skills necessary to perform at the level required in the occupation. They help the new program sponsors locate and make arrangements with local education agencies to provide the classroom instruction that augments OJT training.
California Apprentices by Industry
California currently has more than 93,000 apprentices across a variety of occupations. Over time, as jobs in traditional industries trend downward, positions in new high-tech and service industries increase to take their place.