Sheet Metal Work
Salary Ranges
(entry level –> experienced)

  • $12.87 – $28.61 (hourly)
  • $26,769 – $59,508 (annual)

The sheet metal program requires 576 hours of classroom instruction and 8000 hours of on-the-job training.

Sheet-metal workers fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces.

Sheet metal workers need to be in good physical condition and have mechanical and mathematical aptitude and good reading skills. Good eye-hand coordination, spatial and form perception, and manual dexterity also are important. Primary skills needed for this occupation include: install sheet metal assemblies in supportive framework; operate metal or plastic fabricating equipment/machinery; use hand, power and precision measuring tools; braze, solder and weld metal parts or components together.

1st Year Apprentice

(144 hours classroom training, 2,000 hours on-the-job training)

  • Basic Safety – OSHA-10 Hour
  • Basic Employability Skills
  • Material Handling
  • Introduction to Sheet Metal
  • Basic Trade Math
  • Use and Care of Tools
  • Hangers and Supports
  • Sheet Metal Tools and Equipment
  • Hoisting and Rigging
  • Basic Electricity
  • Sheet Metal Connections
  • Duct Installation
  • Sheet Metal Shop Tools
  • Sheet Metal Parts Identification
  • CPR
  • Plastic Piping
  • Sheet Metal Layout Processes
  • Hilti Fire Stopping and Anchoring
  • Financial Literacy

2nd Year Apprentice

(144 hours classroom training, 2,000 hours on-the-job training)

  • Field Measurements/Calculations
  • Offset
  • Construction and Sheet Metal
  • Prints Review and Take-offs
  • LP Duct Take-offs
  • Isometric Drawings
  • Sheet Metal Fabrication Standards
  • Pro-Press/ Mega Press Vendor Training
  • Triangulation/Fitting Tree Lab
  • Layout Skills (Post Tension, Flat and Pan Decks, Wood Framing, Tilt-up and Twin Tee)
  • Air Distribution Systems
  • Fire Damper Installation
  • Submittals
  • Louvers and Dampers
  • Installation of Specialty Duct- Fabric, Grease Duct, Commercial Dishwasher Exhaust
  • Into to Heating and Cooling
  • Mechanical Equipment

3rd Year Apprentice

(144 hours classroom training, 2,000 hours on-the-job training)

  • IMC and IFGC Code Review
  • Commercial Air Side Systems
  • Welding, Brazing and Cutting
  • Details for Tool Box Lab
  • Principals of Air Flow
  • Duct Testing
  • Copper Development Association Vendor Training
  • EPA Certification

4th Year Apprentice

(144 hours classroom training, 2,000 hours on-the-job training)

  • Fume Hood Exhaust Design
  • Shop Production and Organization
  • Print Reading
  • IMC and IFGC Code Review; preparation for Journeyman Exam
  • Take Off and Detailing
  • Air Testing and Balancing
  • Duct Sizing Ductulator
  • Plenums, Shaft Duct and Curb Design
  • Isometric Drawing of  boilder on a standComprehensive Print Reading
  • Leadership in LEED
  • BIM/CADD
  • Fundamentals for Crew Leadership
  • Crane Rigging and Signaling Qualification