School vs apprenticeship (OJT) by trade and state
- Page last updated October 24, 2026
- VA data retrieved October 24, 2026 (Comparison Tool data version 1522)
Quick answer
For each trade we list, VA's Comparison Tool mixes school (non-college degree) locations and apprenticeship / on-the-job training (OJT) locations. The split varies widely: Plumbing / Pipefitting (83.9% OJT locations), Electrician (80.9% OJT locations) and Heavy Equipment Operator (68.7%) are mostly employer OJT, while Barber & Cosmetology (96.2% school) and Welding (86.9% school) are mostly school programs. [VA: GI Bill® Comparison Tool] [VA: On-the-job training and apprenticeships]
Unit of analysis
We count locations (VA facility codes) that have at least one matched program for the trade:
- School locations — at least one non-college degree (NCD) program.
- OJT / apprenticeship locations — at least one on-the-job training or apprenticeship program.
- OJT share — OJT locations ÷ all locations for that trade.
In the current extract, school and OJT rarely share the same facility code within a trade (a location is usually one or the other). Program counts can differ from location counts because one location may list several programs. Data retrieved October 24, 2026.
School vs apprenticeship / OJT by trade
| Trade | Locations | School (NCD) | OJT / apprenticeship | OJT share | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding | 1,352 | 1,175 | 177 | 13.1% | Directory · Guide |
| HVAC/R | 1,767 | 933 | 834 | 47.2% | Directory · Guide |
| Electrician | 3,260 | 622 | 2,638 | 80.9% | Directory · Guide |
| Plumbing / Pipefitting | 1,592 | 256 | 1,336 | 83.9% | Directory · Guide |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 279 | 216 | 63 | 22.6% | Directory · Guide |
| Diesel Mechanic | 612 | 428 | 184 | 30.1% | Directory · Guide |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | 227 | 71 | 156 | 68.7% | Directory · Guide |
| Barber & Cosmetology | 1,563 | 1,504 | 59 | 3.8% | Directory · Guide |
| Truck Driving / CDL | 887 | 535 | 352 | 39.7% | Directory · Guide |
Source: VA GI Bill Comparison Tool program data, retrieved October 24, 2026. See methodology.
Takeaway for counselors
- High OJT share (plumbing, electrician, heavy equipment): start with the trade directory's apprenticeship filter and the national apprenticeships hub; confirm the sponsor with the State Approving Agency and SCO.
- High school share (barber/cosmetology, welding, aircraft mechanic): focus on NCD certificates and diplomas; still scan for any OJT rows.
- Mixed trades (HVAC, diesel, CDL): present both paths side by side — school clock hours vs paid OJT.
Electrician: school vs OJT by state
States with at least 10 electrician locations in VA's data. Nationally, 80.9% of Electrician locations are OJT/apprenticeship.
| State | Locations | School | OJT / apprenticeship | OJT share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 55 | 0 | 55 | 100% |
| Idaho | 89 | 1 | 88 | 99% |
| Connecticut | 370 | 6 | 364 | 98% |
| Oregon | 53 | 1 | 52 | 98% |
| Wisconsin | 169 | 5 | 164 | 97% |
| Montana | 37 | 1 | 36 | 97% |
| New Hampshire | 70 | 3 | 67 | 96% |
| Rhode Island | 28 | 1 | 27 | 96% |
| Iowa | 151 | 10 | 141 | 93% |
| South Dakota | 41 | 3 | 38 | 93% |
| Maryland | 29 | 2 | 27 | 93% |
| Utah | 80 | 8 | 72 | 90% |
| Michigan | 113 | 14 | 99 | 88% |
| New York | 96 | 12 | 84 | 88% |
| North Dakota | 29 | 4 | 25 | 86% |
| Arkansas | 34 | 5 | 29 | 85% |
| Washington | 49 | 8 | 41 | 84% |
| Nebraska | 23 | 4 | 19 | 83% |
| Georgia | 150 | 27 | 123 | 82% |
| Colorado | 50 | 9 | 41 | 82% |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 11 | 48 | 81% |
| Wyoming | 27 | 5 | 22 | 81% |
| Delaware | 16 | 3 | 13 | 81% |
| North Carolina | 103 | 21 | 82 | 80% |
| Ohio | 64 | 13 | 51 | 80% |
| South Carolina | 43 | 9 | 34 | 79% |
| Minnesota | 69 | 15 | 54 | 78% |
| Maine | 31 | 7 | 24 | 77% |
| Pennsylvania | 88 | 22 | 66 | 75% |
| Virginia | 76 | 19 | 57 | 75% |
| Indiana | 98 | 26 | 72 | 73% |
| Kentucky | 58 | 17 | 41 | 71% |
| Tennessee | 40 | 12 | 28 | 70% |
| Missouri | 30 | 9 | 21 | 70% |
| Illinois | 80 | 27 | 53 | 66% |
| Florida | 74 | 25 | 49 | 66% |
| Texas | 147 | 52 | 95 | 65% |
| Hawaii | 11 | 4 | 7 | 64% |
| Arizona | 51 | 20 | 31 | 61% |
| New Jersey | 52 | 22 | 30 | 58% |
| Kansas | 30 | 13 | 17 | 57% |
| California | 97 | 43 | 54 | 56% |
| Nevada | 11 | 5 | 6 | 55% |
| Alabama | 34 | 16 | 18 | 53% |
| Oklahoma | 46 | 23 | 23 | 50% |
| West Virginia | 19 | 10 | 9 | 47% |
| Louisiana | 40 | 24 | 16 | 40% |
| New Mexico | 15 | 9 | 6 | 40% |
| Mississippi | 24 | 15 | 9 | 38% |
States with fewer than 10 locations for this trade are omitted so we do not publish thin percentages.
Plumbing / Pipefitting: school vs OJT by state
States with at least 10 plumbing and pipefitting locations in VA's data. Nationally, 83.9% of Plumbing / Pipefitting locations are OJT/apprenticeship.
| State | Locations | School | OJT / apprenticeship | OJT share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 36 | 0 | 36 | 100% |
| Vermont | 32 | 0 | 32 | 100% |
| Maryland | 20 | 0 | 20 | 100% |
| Oregon | 17 | 0 | 17 | 100% |
| Arkansas | 16 | 0 | 16 | 100% |
| Rhode Island | 10 | 0 | 10 | 100% |
| Wisconsin | 98 | 2 | 96 | 98% |
| Montana | 61 | 1 | 60 | 98% |
| Connecticut | 198 | 5 | 193 | 97% |
| Ohio | 32 | 1 | 31 | 97% |
| Iowa | 94 | 4 | 90 | 96% |
| Michigan | 55 | 4 | 51 | 93% |
| Utah | 59 | 5 | 54 | 92% |
| New Hampshire | 25 | 2 | 23 | 92% |
| North Dakota | 11 | 1 | 10 | 91% |
| Washington | 21 | 2 | 19 | 90% |
| Alabama | 10 | 1 | 9 | 90% |
| Illinois | 33 | 4 | 29 | 88% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 7 | 45 | 87% |
| Indiana | 71 | 10 | 61 | 86% |
| South Dakota | 13 | 2 | 11 | 85% |
| Colorado | 19 | 3 | 16 | 84% |
| Georgia | 28 | 5 | 23 | 82% |
| Kentucky | 24 | 5 | 19 | 79% |
| Virginia | 30 | 7 | 23 | 77% |
| South Carolina | 13 | 3 | 10 | 77% |
| Massachusetts | 29 | 7 | 22 | 76% |
| Maine | 24 | 6 | 18 | 75% |
| New York | 47 | 12 | 35 | 74% |
| Missouri | 15 | 4 | 11 | 73% |
| Nebraska | 10 | 3 | 7 | 70% |
| Texas | 59 | 19 | 40 | 68% |
| California | 47 | 15 | 32 | 68% |
| Louisiana | 18 | 6 | 12 | 67% |
| North Carolina | 33 | 12 | 21 | 64% |
| New Jersey | 38 | 14 | 24 | 63% |
| Tennessee | 25 | 10 | 15 | 60% |
| Minnesota | 22 | 9 | 13 | 59% |
| Florida | 50 | 24 | 26 | 52% |
| Oklahoma | 17 | 9 | 8 | 47% |
| Kansas | 10 | 6 | 4 | 40% |
| Arizona | 12 | 8 | 4 | 33% |
States with fewer than 10 locations for this trade are omitted so we do not publish thin percentages.
How to use the split
Pick the trade
Open the trade directory and note whether most rows are school programs or employers.
If OJT is common, check sponsors
Use Apprenticeships & OJT and Apprenticeship.gov's Job Finder. [Apprenticeship.gov: Apprenticeship Job Finder]
Confirm on VA's tool
Approval is program by program. Search the exact program in the Comparison Tool before anyone enrolls. [VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool] [VA: School and program approval]
Common questions
Is most GI Bill trade training school-based or on the job?
It depends on the trade. In our current VA extract, electrician and plumbing locations are mostly apprenticeship/OJT, while barber/cosmetology and welding are mostly school (NCD) programs. HVAC, diesel and CDL sit in between.
[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool] [VA: On-the-job training and apprenticeships]
What should counselors tell students when OJT share is high?
Check employer and union sponsors as well as schools. Use this site's apprenticeships hub and the trade directory, then confirm the exact program on VA's Comparison Tool.
[VA: On-the-job training and apprenticeships] [VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]
Why omit some states from the state tables?
We only show states with at least 10 locations for that trade so small samples do not produce misleading percentages.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “On-the-job training and apprenticeships” (page last updated February 4, 2025). Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Non-college degree programs” (page last updated December 13, 2024). Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027)” (page last updated October 13, 2026). Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “School and program approval (State Approving Agencies)”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, “Apprenticeship Job Finder”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, “Apprenticeship for service members and veterans”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool data (ComparisonToolData.xlsx)”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.