Over the past 25 years, the annual Ironworker Instructor Training Program has been held in California, 23 years of which were at the University of San Diego campus. The National Training Fund (NTF) Labor and Management Trustees have voted unanimously to move the program to Washtenaw Community College (WCC) and Eastern Michigan University near Ann Arbor, Michigan beginning this year. The vote to relocate followed a site visit to the campuses by the management trustees and NTF staff.
The two schools have a strong technical focus and a long history of supporting union instructor training programs. The United Association has been holding their annual instructor training program at WCC for over 20 years. This past year, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers moved their program to WCC as well.
There are a number of advantages to the Ironworker's program moving to the campuses including large classrooms, computer labs and an outside covered pavilion that can be used for hands-on skill development. WCC has a weld shop with over 40 booths that is one of the largest AWS Accredited Testing Facilities in the country. The additional classroom space will allow for the availability of more training courses including a new "green" construction course.
The Iron Workers International and their contractors spend on average of $1.2 million to facilitate the annual training program. The overall cost for the operation of the program at the new locations will be far less than past years in San Diego. Instructors come from over 145 local unions across the United States and Canada which allows the new centralized location to decrease travel costs for most locals.
President Hunt says, "Having the best trained ironworkers that have been taught from a standardized curriculum has made union contractors competitive anywhere in North America. When large construction jobs are bid the contractor knows they will have a highly-skilled workforce available".
For more information on the 2010 Ironworker Instructor Training Program, contact the National Training Fund at (202) 383-4800.