This story was originally published by the Herald on May 29, 2025
This month, Vermont State University (VTSU) in Randolph graduated 105 electricians and 80 plumbers from the university’s registered apprenticeship programs, offered in partnership with the Vermont Department of Labor.
The university saw a nearly 30% increase in the number of apprenticeship graduates this year and a 20% increase in the number of employers represented in the graduating class. Across all four years in the plumbing and electrical apprenticeship programs, VTSU has 886 students enrolled, a headcount that has increased by over 200 apprentices in the last four years.
“The plumbing and electrical apprenticeship program is a tremendous success story for VTSU,” stated university president Dave Bergh. “Career-readiness is at the heart of our mission and the apprenticeship programs are a clear example of the university rising to meet the education, workforce and training needs of our employers and the learning needs of our students across Vermont.
“These programs have sustained a clear growth trajectory over the last several years and have produced graduates ready to enter the workforce, thanks to their hands-on learning experience,” he added.
Ninety-one percent of this year’s graduating class of apprentices hail from Vermont and the remainder from the neighboring states of New Hampshire and New York. Across the 886 plumbing and electrical apprentices enrolled at VTSU, 326 employers are represented. The median hourly wage for plumbers in Vermont is $29. This education pathway leads not only to steady employment in a high-demand field, but good pay for graduates.
Each of the 185 graduates celebrated this month have achieved the credentials needed to sit for the Vermont State Journeyman Licensure Exam, including 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, 144 hours of classroom instruction each of their four years enrolled in the program, and OSHA 10 Construction Training.
