Sign, Billboard and Display, Pre-Apprentice
Training Programs > Advanced Manufacturing

Sign, Billboard and Display, Pre-Apprentice

Potential earnings range:
$70,034-$183,290*
Per year after graduation

Do you enjoy creating art? Do you have an eye for detail? Thrive in hands-on, creative environments? 

Then you may be a good fit for Job Corps’ Sign, Billboard and Display, Pre-Apprentice program. Pre-apprenticeships are focused on preparing students for a successful experience in a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). That means your hands-on training will be based on industry standards in order to prepare you for high-skill, quality employment.

On the job, you will …

  • Plan advertising campaigns, including which media to advertise in, such as radio, television, print, online media and billboards 
  • Learn graphic design principles 
  • Create computerized letter fabrication 
  • Demonstrate installation methods and techniques 
  • Demonstrate a working knowledge of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria 

Some of the career options you will have ...

Most Sign, Billboard and Display Job Corps graduates go to work for design or printing companies or small shops, or jobs within the trade show industry.

The credentials you will earn ...

The Sign, Billboard and Display, Pre-Apprentice program, which is operated by our National Training Contractor, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), offers industry credentials and certifications to students who complete the program.

Students should also earn a state-issued learner’s permit and driver’s license upon completion of the program. 

What you’ll need to start training ...

  • Have a high school diploma or equivalent (can be earned at all Job Corps centers) 
  • Completion of all introductory and career preparation courses 
  • Passing scores on all written and performance tests 
  • Meet academic (math and reading) requirements 
* Salary information comes from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Program and is provided for planning purposes only. Actual salary will depend on student skill level, credentials earned, experience level and location.

Need help meeting one or more of these requirements?

Don’t worry! At Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps Center, our staff will help you along your journey to make sure you have all the tools and resources you need to check those boxes and start your training.

Meet your instructors

Meet your instructors

Sharde Bates
Sharde Bates
Sharde Bates is the instructor for the Sign and Display program at Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps Center, which she graduated from herself in 2008. The experience Sharde had as a student at Job Corps motivated her to become an instructor so she could help other students find opportunities for employment and skills to be self-sufficient.