Trades Careers in Central Louisiana
How students and families can get started, what the jobs pay, and where to learn more.
A skilled trade is a career you learn by doing: electricians, plumbers and pipefitters, carpenters, welders, HVAC technicians, truck drivers and more. Most trades start with a high school diploma or equivalent, then train through a paid apprenticeship or a technical college program. This guide is for Central Louisiana students and families who want to know what that path looks like.
What the trades pay
These are national figures. Pay in Central Louisiana varies with the employer, your experience and the type of work.
Electricians
median pay a year. Jobs projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters
median pay a year. Jobs projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035.
Carpenters
median pay a year. Jobs projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035.
Three common ways in
1. A paid apprenticeship
Apprentices are paid while they learn. In the electrical and pipe trades an apprenticeship usually lasts four to five years and includes about 2,000 paid on-the-job hours each year plus classroom instruction. Many union apprenticeships are run jointly with employers. Each program sets its own age, education and testing requirements and its own application dates, so ask the program directly.
2. A technical college program
Central Louisiana Technical and Community College (CLTCC) offers an Electrician Technology program on its Alexandria Main Campus, with a Career and Technical Certificate (Electrician Helper), a Certificate of Technical Studies (Residential Electrician) and a Technical Diploma. Graduates of technical school programs usually receive credit toward an apprenticeship.
3. Start in high school
Louisiana's Jump Start pathways let students earn industry credentials before they graduate. The state has also offered $1,000 Jump Start Construction Connect scholarships to seniors who hold an NCCER credential and enroll in a Louisiana community and technical college construction pathway or an Associated Builders and Contractors training program. The 2025 round offered up to 40 awards. Ask your school counselor about the current round.
Pick a trade to learn more
Electrician
What electricians do, how apprenticeships work, and where to start in Alexandria.
Plumber and pipefitter
What the work involves, a five-year apprenticeship, and the local program.
What you can do this year
- Come to Cenla Trades Day. Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, 9 AM to 1 PM (students arrive at 9:30 AM) at the Westside Regional Library, 5416 Provine Pl, Alexandria. It is free and open to the public. It is an informational event, not a job fair: students ask people who work in the trades how they got started and what the work is like. RSVP by Nov. 6. Event details · Register
- Apply for a scholarship. Graduating seniors in Central Louisiana can apply for a Student Chapter scholarship by March 1, 2027. Scholarship details
- Bring the chapter to your school. Teachers and schools can start a student chapter. Get involved
Questions families ask
Do I need a four-year degree?
No. For these trades the typical entry requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent. Training happens through paid apprenticeships or technical programs.
Do apprentices get paid?
Yes. Apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction.
Where do I start?
Talk with your career and technical education or shop teacher and your school counselor, visit a training program in person, and come ask questions at Trades Day.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Carpenters
- Central Louisiana Technical and Community College: Electrician Technology
- Louisiana Department of Education: Jump Start Construction Connect scholarships (Feb. 14, 2025)
Last reviewed Oct. 30, 2026. Pay and growth figures are national and can change when the Bureau of Labor Statistics updates them.