Quick Facts

• Location: Wilmington/New Castle County, Delaware
• Administrative Address: 1703 School Ln, Wilmington, DE 19808
• School Type: Public Adult Education, Technical Training & Registered Apprenticeship Provider
• Programs Offered: Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Welding, Carpentry, Pipefitting, Millwright, Ironworking, Masonry, Automotive and additional trades
• Training Style: Registered apprenticeship Related Technical Instruction (RTI) + technical training
• Tuition Range: Many major 2026–27 trade programs are $575 per year
• Program Length: Approximately 2–4 years depending on trade
• Online Programs Available: Limited
• Hybrid Learning: Yes — many apprenticeship courses use hybrid delivery
• Financial Aid: Not conventional FAFSA; employer/apprenticeship/workforce assistance may apply
• Class Options: Primarily evening classes
• Certification: NCCER credentials available in numerous construction trades
• Apprenticeship: Delaware DOL-approved Registered Apprenticeship RTI
• Average Rating: ⭐ 5.0 (23 Reviews)
• Website: Official NCCVT Adult Education website

Overview

The Adult Education Division of New Castle County Vocational Technical School District is one of the most valuable trade-training listings in Delaware.

Its Apprenticeship & Technical Training division provides the classroom component—known as Related Technical Instruction (RTI)—for registered apprentices working in skilled trades throughout Delaware and surrounding areas. Apprentices combine classroom instruction with paid on-the-job training through sponsoring employers.

For many trades, completing the registered apprenticeship means approximately 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training, ultimately leading toward Delaware’s Journeyperson Certificate.

Importantly, students do not necessarily need an employer sponsor just to take classes. Non-registered students can enroll as Technical Training Students and complete the same RTI curriculum, although they cannot accumulate the required apprenticeship OJT hours without a sponsoring employer.

Programs Offered

Current training includes:

• Electrical
• HVAC/R
• Plumbing
• Welding
• Carpentry
• Pipefitting
• Millwright
• Ironworking
• Masonry
• Construction Craft Laborer
• Electronic Systems Technician
• Instrumentation
• Automotive Technician
• Additional technical/apprenticeship programs

Electrical

The Electrical program is:

4 years | 600 classroom hours | $575/year

Training covers:

• Applied electrical theory
• Residential electrical systems
• Commercial electrical systems
• Industrial electrical systems
• National Electrical Code
• Safe work practices

The curriculum is NCCER-based and meets U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship standards.

HVAC

HVAC is also:

4 years | 600 hours | $575/year

Students study installation, maintenance and troubleshooting of heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems, with additional exposure to:

• Sheet metal
• Welding
• Pipefitting

Classes run from October through April, generally Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30–9:30 p.m. The program offers hybrid or in-person formats depending on location.

Plumbing

The Plumbing program is:

4 years | 600 hours | $575/year

Instruction covers residential, commercial and public-building piping systems along with trade math, drawings and codes.

Classes are available in hybrid or in-person formats at Hodgson and Delcastle.

Welding

The Welding curriculum is particularly comprehensive:

4 years | 600 hours | $575/year

Processes include:

• SMAW / Stick
• GMAW / MIG
• FCAW / Flux-Core
• GTAW / TIG
• Pipe welding

Students also learn blueprint/drawing interpretation, measurements, safety and quality control.

Carpentry

Carpentry is:

4 years | 600 hours | $575/year

Training progresses from foundational skills into framing, finish carpentry, concrete and form carpentry.

Classes are offered in hybrid or in-person formats at Delcastle.

Pipefitting

Pipefitting is another:

4-year / 600-hour / $575-per-year pathway.

Students learn installation and repair of high- and low-pressure piping systems used in manufacturing, power generation, heating and cooling applications.

Other Strong Programs

Additional current pathways include:

Millwright: 4 years / 600 hours / $575 per year.

Ironworking: 3 years / 450 hours / $575 per year.

Masonry: 3 years / 450 hours / $575 per year.

Construction Craft Laborer: 2 years / 300 hours / $575 per year.

Electronic Systems Technician: 3 years / 576 hours / $575 per year.

Instrumentation: 4 years / 600 hours / $575 per year.

Tuition & Financial Aid

This is one of the most attractive aspects of the program.

Many major 2026–27 trade programs currently publish tuition of:

$575 per year.

That includes Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Welding, Carpentry, Pipefitting, Millwright, Ironworking, Masonry and several other apprenticeship/technical-training pathways.

This is not a conventional FAFSA/Pell college, so don’t describe it that way.

Registered apprentices typically combine their education with paid employment through a sponsoring employer.

Registered Apprenticeship

This is where NCCVT becomes particularly compelling for TradeSchoolScout.

Registered apprentices combine:

RTI — Related Technical Instruction

with

OJT — Paid On-the-Job Training.

Most trades require roughly:

• 576 RTI hours
• 8,000 OJT hours

Once both requirements are completed, the Delaware Department of Labor issues the applicable Journeyperson Certificate.

This gives visitors a very different path from paying $15,000–$30,000 for a private trade-school diploma.

Training Locations

Classes are held at several NCCVT facilities, including:

• Delcastle Technical High School
• Hodgson Vo-Tech High School
• Marshallton Education Center
• Delaware Skills Center

The Apprenticeship & Technical Training administrative office is at 1703 School Lane in Wilmington.

Why Students Choose This School

• Registered apprenticeship pathway
• Earn while you learn
• Electrical
• HVAC
• Plumbing
• Welding
• Carpentry
• Pipefitting
• Millwright
• Ironworking
• Masonry
• NCCER curriculum
• Evening classes
• Hybrid options
• Approximately $575/year for many programs
• Journeyperson pathway

Career Opportunities

Depending on the apprenticeship, students can work toward careers such as:

• Electrician
• HVAC/R Technician
• Plumber
• Welder
• Carpenter
• Pipefitter
• Millwright
• Ironworker
• Mason
• Electronic Systems Technician
• Instrumentation Technician
• Automotive Technician

Licensing requirements vary by trade.

Student Reviews

Based on your supplied Google data:

⭐ Average Rating: 5.0 (23 Reviews)

That’s a very strong rating, though the reviews cover the broader Adult Education operation rather than any single apprenticeship.

Enrollment Tips

Students should first determine whether they are:

Registered Apprentices — employed by a sponsoring employer and completing both OJT and classroom RTI.

or

Technical Training Students — taking the same classroom curriculum without an apprenticeship sponsor.

Technical Training Students can receive an AED diploma recognized by Delaware’s Department of Labor, but cannot complete the required apprenticeship OJT hours without an employer sponsor.

NCCVT also provides job-placement assistance to technical-training students who are trying to connect with employers.

Bottom Line

The combination of Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Welding, Carpentry, Pipefitting, Millwright and other trades, NCCER curriculum, evening/hybrid schedules and tuition of roughly $575 per year for many programs is excellent. For students who secure registered apprenticeship employment, the opportunity to combine classroom education with paid on-the-job training toward a Delaware Journeyperson Certificate makes it an especially strong alternative to expensive private trade schools.