Section 10E. An examiner shall upon payment of a fee, the amount of which shall be determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provision of section three B of chapter seven for the filing thereof issue without examination an apprentice certificate to any person who applies therefor, which certificate shall permit him to assist and work under the supervision of a person holding a certificate as an oil burner technician in the alteration, repair or installation of oil burning equipment. An apprentice certificate shall be valid until the date of birth of the licensee occurring more than twelve months but not more than twenty-four months after the effective date of such license, and shall be renewed without examination upon the payment of a fee as determined under the aforementioned chapter seven provision. If any such license or the renewal thereof expires in an even year, any subsequent renewal shall expire on the next anniversary of the licensee's date of birth occurring in an even year. If any such license or renewal thereof expires in an odd year, any subsequent renewal shall expire on the next anniversary of the licensee's date of birth occurring in an odd year. A license issued to a person born on February twenty-ninth shall, for the purposes of this section, expire on March first.