Education · 1 of 4

The path

Two ways in: get hired by a contractor, or get into a registered apprenticeship.

1. 1

   High school diploma or the GED (General Educational Development) test

   Grade 12

   Most apprenticeships require one. Straight hire by a small contractor often does not.

2. 2

   Get on a crew as a helper

   Right away

   Moving hose, setting forms, pulling screed, cleaning tools. Nobody lets you finish a slab in week one.

3. 3

   Register an apprenticeship

   2 to 4 years

   Roughly 2 to 4 years combining paid work with classroom hours, run by a union local or a contractor association through the federal apprenticeship system.

4. 4

   Learn to finish, not just to place

   2 to 5 years in

   Timing the set, bull floating, edging, troweling and knowing when to walk away is what separates a laborer from a finisher.

5. 5

   Journeyman, then foreman

   5 years and up

   Running your own crew, reading the plans, calling the pour and owning the result.