What Are the Different Types of Trainee Jobs?

Just about every industry in the job market will have some sort of trainee jobs available to qualified applicants. These positions are intended to teach a candidate the various skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in a particular job setting. Trainee jobs can range from entry-level laborer positions all the way up to management trainee positions; some trainee positions are highly specialized, and the job candidate will need a college degree as well as various types of training before he or she can even be considered for a traineeship.

Regardless of the type of trainee jobs a candidate takes, he or she will work under the guidance and supervision of a more experienced employee. The trainee will rarely, if ever, work independently with no supervision, and all of the work he or she does will generally be inspected or otherwise checked by a more experienced employee or trainer. A traineeship can vary in duration depending on the complexity of the job, and generally, such trainee jobs can last anywhere from a couple of months to several years. Once the candidate completes the traineeship, he or she will generally be qualified for full-time work, though additional requirements may need to be met as well.

Management trainees are often existing employees in a company who have been given the opportunity to advance to a position with greater responsibility, and often better pay. A management trainee program can also vary in length, and the traineeship will usually be guided by an existing manager. In some cases, external trainers may be hired by a company to take responsibilities for these trainee jobs. Certain certifications or licenses may need to be earned by participants before they can be considered managers, though in other settings, the training program can be quite brief and will require little or no additional licensing.

Sometimes trainee jobs are known as apprenticeships. Apprentices generally learn specific trades, such as welding, plumbing, electrical work, or even mechanical work, and apprenticeships can be formal or informal. Formal apprenticeships generally last several years and culminate with the candidate taking and passing various certification exams to become a journeyman. In some cases, trainee and apprentice are interchangeable terms, though in some settings, a trainee is a person who is preparing for an apprenticeship. He or she will take the initial steps to prepare for the rigors and commitment of an apprenticeship, and the trainee may be quite young — sometimes still in high school.