Apprenticeship And Training

Through apprenticeship programs, new entrants to the construction and sheet metal industry receive supervised training on the job and related instruction under the tutelage of highly skilled members. Apprentices are employed and receive wages while training on-the-job, and the cost of the related instruction is paid for by the local SMWIA Joint Apprenticeship Board.

The apprenticeship programs of the SMWIA operate under standards registered and certified by the U.S. Department of Labor under the Employment and Training Administration and/ or by each state apprenticeship agency.

While the SMWIA and its fellow Building Trades Unions adhere to the highest standards in the industry, non-union apprenticeship programs threaten to tarnish the reputation of every industry participant. For example, after a decade long investigation, the Associated Builders and Contractors were decertified by the Washington State Department of Labor for failing to provide proper training for its apprentices. Instead of developing new highly skilled journeymen that would be a benefit to the industry, the ABC utilized its apprenticeship program as a form of cheap labor. According to a Washington State administrative law judge, "at best, these violations were the product of ABC and its training agents to maximize profits at the expense of their apprentices' quality of training."

The SMWIA is dedicated to advancing the ideals of its craft in the construction industry and ensuring that the final product is a credit to union employers and a benefit to construction end users alike. In order to ensure that the entire industry does not get dragged into a quagmire, we support the enforcement and maintenance of apprenticeship standards that will maintain a highly performing sheet metal workforce for the future and provide real careers for today’s apprentices.