In the plumbing program at the Middlesex County vo-tech. We do a lot of shop time, plus I help my uncle on weekends (he jokes I'm basically his foreman now lol, I'm not). Ziggy's been answering my questions on here and he said to ask the people who actually run the programs, which I will, but I want to know what others found. Do the hours in a vo-tech program count toward an apprenticeship or a license later? Or is it just a diploma and a head start?
Vo-tech instructor, plumbing & HVAC · 28 years · Passaic County, NJ
Mentor✓ Accepted answer
Speaking as someone who teaches in one: first, ask your program's coordinator directly, because whatever arrangements exist are specific to your school and to the apprenticeship you apply to. Second, assume nothing transfers automatically. Some apprenticeships may look favorably on a program, and some licensing paths may count certain schooling, but you'll want it in writing either way. Third, keep every certificate and transcript. Ask me how I know you'll need them years later.
Master Plumber, second-generation shop owner · 23 years · Hudson County, NJ
Mentor
It counts in the way that matters most: you'll know which end of a torch is hot on your first day. My father used to hire the vo-tech kids over everyone else for exactly that reason. I still do.