By Jason Fincke, Executive Director
Builders Guild of Western Pennsylvania, Inc.

Local building trade unions are looking for more than a few good men and women. As a result of a recent boom in the construction industry, many of the area’s building trades, including carpenters, iron workers, steamfitters and others, are looking for new ways to recruit men and women into any one of their more than 20 different skilled professions.

A career in the building trades can be particularly rewarding. With some of the nation’s finest training facilities, the building trades are able to provide a quality education at virtually no cost for men and women who have the desire and ability to become a skilled craftsperson. It is a career that includes good wages along with health care and retirement benefits.

Young men and women who want to learn or improve their skills in a particular trade should seriously consider a career in any one of the local building trade unions’ apprenticeship programs. The combination of available work and an aging workforce is creating a demand for men and women who are seeking alternatives to college and traditional white-collar jobs.

The opportunity to be gainfully employed in the construction industry is particularly promising at this time, and is expected to remain strong. According to the United States Government Accountability Office, between 2002 and 2012 approximately 850,000 jobs in the construction industry will open up across the country, many of which will be needed in Western Pennsylvania.

As such, it is a great time to join one of the local building trade unions and become skilled in a profession that can be highly rewarding and challenging. Unlike colleges and universities, students who enroll in a local apprenticeship program offered by building trade unions earn wages while working for area contractors and receiving both on-the-job and classroom training.

Depending on the particular trade, apprenticeship training normally takes from approximately three to five years to complete. During that time, apprentices receive wage increases as they proceed through the program. Most programs include computer-based training and all of the building trades offer refresher training throughout a worker’s career and membership in the union.

Most people would be shocked at the amount and level of training that is provided by the building trades. Located throughout Western Pennsylvania, these training centers utilize state-of-the-art equipment and in many cases simulate working conditions in a controlled environment. They are funded without any public dollars, making them great resources and assets to our region.

To become a member of a building trade union, persons must either qualify through an apprenticeship program or meet special qualifications if they are already a practicing journeyman. Generally, persons must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, possess a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license, have suitable transportation and be drug free. Applicants should have good attendance records and a willingness to be part of a winning team.

It takes great training and commitment to become a skilled professional in the building trades. Not everyone is cut out for the demands of the job. It takes stamina and a willingness to work under differing conditions. The job, however, can serve people well throughout their life. Unlike many professions which are being outsourced overseas, a building trade skill will always be needed and in demand.