Female apprentice in training at SMW104 Apprenticeship Training Center in Fairfield, Calif.
“Union apprenticeships will continue to play an important role in building a strong workforce for our state, thanks to continued investment in people like our new training center,” said Rick Werner, SMW Local Union No. 104 President.
Fairfield, Calif. (PRWEB) August 16, 2017
The Bay Area Industry Training Fund is proud to announce the grand opening of the Sheet Metal Apprenticeship Training Center in Fairfield. The state-of-the art training center for sheet metal workers (SMW) recently completed the development of three additional training labs, increasing instruction capabilities for service, testing and balancing, and welding using cutting-edge instructional aids. It originally opened in 2014 as one of four centers in the Bay Area to train apprentices in HVAC services and repair, sheet metal fabrication and installation, architectural, welding, as well as testing and balancing.
This training center will provide apprentices the opportunity to gain valuable skills while engaging with employers, gain practical work experience, refine their technical skills in HVAC and sheet metal fabrication for the diverse array of highly skilled occupations available in California.
“As contractors, our greatest need in the future will be highly skilled and motivated workforce,” says Paul Irwin, Owner of Bell Products, Inc. Mechanical Contractors. “The completion of this training center exemplifies the strong commitment both labor and management share for maintaining a capable and committed workforce trained using state-of-the-art curriculum, tools and equipment now available at all the Bay Area Sheet Metal Apprenticeship Training Centers.”
Since 2016, Governor Jerry Brown has been supporting the job-training model of the California Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI) by making it a priority as part of the State’s efforts to add one million more skilled workers to California’s economy over the next decade.
“California has the largest apprenticeship system in the nation,” said Rick Werner, SMW Local Union No. 104 President. “Union apprenticeships will continue to play an important role in building a strong workforce for our state, thanks to continued investment in people like our new training center.”
According to the California PUC, the work, advancements and knowledge in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry has been identified as key for energy reduction goals in California. This training facility is filling the need for skilled workers who create, manufacture, install, and maintain energy-efficient HVAC systems.
The number of energy efficiency jobs continues to grow each year, but employers in the industry have reported that it can be difficult to find qualified workers for these positions due to lack of experience, training, or technical skills. It has been estimated that the economy could add more than a million energy efficiency jobs by 2030, and up to 2 million of these jobs by 2050, reports the Advanced Energy Economy Institute. The Sheet Metal Apprenticeship Training Center is providing job opportunities, economic grown and is in line with the state’s goals for green energy.
This Apprenticeship Training Center is a world~class training facility housed in a LEED gold certified building. “We’re practicing what we preach and keeping up with the latest technology and trends in the training and curriculum we offer,” said Rick Werner, SMW Local Union No. 104 President.
About the Sheet Metal Workers' Local 104 and Bay Area Industry Training Fund
We strive to equip the next generation of Sheet Metal Workers with a combination of skills and technology from the past, present, and future that secures a bright outlook for members and employers alike. Chartered in 1903, Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 104 remains dedicated to extending the benefits and solidarity of its trade union to all of those working in sheet metal throughout Northern California.
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