The Painters and Allied Trades District Council #30 Joint Apprenticeship & Training Fund (JATF) is a union apprenticeship that has as its mission the transmission, expansion, and application of specialized knowledge of the painting, drywall finishing, decorating, and glazing industry in order to prepare individuals for profitable employment, develop the necessary background for good citizenship, and ensure both the employer and the public the benefit of good craftsmanship.

In fulfilling that mission, the Apprenticeship Program is primarily devoted to supplying training and education to ready individuals for a career in the industry. The end goal is to develop a workforce of the highest quality, one that is proficient in the trade, understands and respects the nature of the competitive marketplace, maintains competency through continual education, and adapts willingly to innovations and social changes affecting the industry. The combination of thoughtful curriculum and conscientious instruction, joint program administration, and union affiliation make the Program dynamic and successful.

•  The Program's curriculum is the core of a comprehensive occupational education experience that occurs both in and out of the classroom. Formulated on accepted standards that are mindful of the changing needs of the industry it serves, the curriculum is offered simultaneous to paid employment in the trade along side skilled journeymen. The curriculum is delivered by highly trained instructors who invite opportunities to improve apprentices' abilities to manage the steps in a process, exercise technical and conscientious judgment, and accept responsibility for their performance. Instructors are also committed to continual professional development so as to maintain their awareness of emerging technologies, trends, and products.

•  The Program's administration is committed to maximizing the benefits of joint governance between industry contractors and union leaders. Sharing equal stake in the outcome of apprenticeship training, employees and employers work together to establish the requirements and standards of the Program. A process of continual improvement is encouraged through regular program review, assessment of program quality and capacity to fulfill objectives, and a commitment to continuing development or redirection of priorities when appropriate.

•  The Program's affiliation with the Painters and Allied Trades District Council #30 is central to the long-term stability and growth of the Program. Union affiliation encourages members to develop the personal agency and competence to recognize the forces that affect their lives as working people. The close alignment of school and work made possible through the unionized apprenticeship tradition assures that craft professionals trained through apprenticeship earn a valuable wage, work in a safe environment, and continuously improve their lives.