Celebrating a Century of Union Apprenticeship Programs
June 14, 2011
The practice of learning a trade by working alongside a master craftsman has been around for centuries. But modern registered apprenticeships have only been recognized in the United States for 100 years. U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis brought together industry and union leaders on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., June 6 to help celebrate 100 years of registered apprenticeship programs.Kevin Burton, an instructor with Washington, D.C., Local 26’s Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee told the assembled crowd:
The rally highlighted the role that apprenticeship programs play in developing a well-trained, highly-skilled work force. Mark Ayers, president of the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, told the crowd that of the approximately 470,000 apprentices in the United States, 75 percent are in the construction field. Of those, 70 percent are enrolled in a union-sponsored training program, making union apprenticeships vital to growing our supply of skilled labor. Says Solis:
Joint labor-management training programs – including the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, which is the training program for the electrical industry – had virtual training facilities on display during the rally to help attendees learn more about modern apprenticeship programs and deployed NJATC personnel to talk to local high-school students in attendance about career opportunities in the building trades. Says Mark Cerulla, comptroller for the NJATC:
The NJATC offers more than 300 specialized programs, including training in the alternative energy sector, such as retrofitting, solar, wind, nuclear and electric cars.
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