Brian Gelnaw, a member of Ironworkers Local 11 in Bloomfield, N.J., tests a plasma cutting torch during vendor night at the 2017 Ironworkers Instructor Training Program at Washtenaw Community College. The week-long event brought nearly 800 Ironworkers to the community. (Photo by Lon Horwedel)
For a week in July, the Washtenaw Community College campus was home to nearly 800 members of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, which returned to the area to host its instructor training program for the eighth consecutive year.
Commonly known as the Ironworkers, members of the union were on campus July 17-21 to receive training in welding, structural steel erection, architectural and ornamental ironwork, concrete reinforcement, rigging and machinery moving and installation, as well as blueprint reading, computer skills and a number of other trade-related subjects.
“We have a reputation for being the most skilled and highly trained workforce in the industry,” said Ironworkers International General President Eric Dean. “This training ensures we have the most qualified instructors, which allows us to in turn train our members and maintain that reputation.”
Starting this fall, WCC facilities that attract apprenticeship coordinators and instructors from across the United States and Canada for this annual training will also become the starting point of Ironworker careers. WCC is introducing a new pre-apprenticeship certificate program that was designed in partnership with the International Ironworkers union. For more information, visit wccnet.edu/iron.
“WCC faculty, Ironworkers International General Organizer Ed Abbott, and Local 25 teamed up to create the Ironworkers Pre-Apprenticeship program at WCC because of the huge need for workers in this industry,” said Cristy Lindemann, WCC Construction Technology Department Chair and Ironworker Summer Conference Director. “Thousands of jobs across the United States and Canada are currently going unfilled—these are high earning, skilled jobs that we can help fill.”
Students who successfully complete the 24-credit program at WCC will gain direct access into Ironworkers Local 25, based in Novi, and up to one year of advanced standing in its apprenticeship training program.
Apprentices earn up to 60-percent of a journeyman’s wages while simultaneously preparing to fill high-paying jobs that are currently in demand across the country.
Lee Worley, executive director of apprenticeship and training for the Ironworkers, said the main reason for the skilled labor shortage is the lack of awareness and a plan to build a pipeline of qualified workers. That plan now includes WCC.
“It’s time to stop telling our young people that their only path to success is a four-year college degree,” Worley said. “Regrettably, non-traditional career paths are often not presented to young people graduating high school as a viable and lucrative alternative to college.”
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, employment of Ironworkers is expected to grow at 9 percent through 2024, which is faster than the average of all occupations. The BLS reports the median pay of Ironworkers to be $50,830 annually.
The Department of Labor reports that nearly nine out of 10 apprentices are employed after completing their programs with an average starting wage above $50,000.
“If you make $50,000 per year versus spending that, or more, on college, it’s about a $400,000 swing,” Worley said.