Builders Guild

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Nothing better reflects the goals of local union building trade apprenticeship programs than that time-honored proverb.

When men and women enroll in any one of 23 union building trade apprenticeship programs, they are learning more than how to build or maintain a specific piece of equipment or building. They are being prepared to learn skills that can that can be applied in a variety of job settings and on a variety of projects. They are being prepared for a lifetime career in a respected profession that will always be in demand, not for a one-time job that leaves them wondering what they will do next.

Apprentices in union training programs are taught how to apply themselves and how to use their training to benefit them for life. Any professional contractor will say that their success depends on the skill and dedication of their workers. They need workers who know their trade before they report to a worksite.

“We need men and women who have invested time in a qualified apprenticeship program, who have a vested interest and take pride in the success of their work,” states Jack Ramage, executive director of the Master Builders’ Association of Western PA.

“It’s all about education, determination and discipline,” said Mr. Ramage. “A good education as offered by union apprenticeship programs is the foundation upon which careers are made.”

Graduate apprentices see firsthand the results of their work and play an integral role in building and developing their community. Whether a steamfitter, carpenter, electrician, cement mason, plumber, bricklayer, laborer, roofer, ironworker or operating engineer, the building trades have exciting and rewarding careers available for individuals interested in using their minds and their hands.

Choosing a career in a building trade doesn’t limit a worker to physical labor. In fact many apprentices and journeymen become supervisors, instructors, union representatives, business agents and some become owners of their own companies. There are endless opportunities to expand one’s career once you have achieved a certain skill and level of expertise.

Editorial provided by the Builder’s Guild of Western Pennsylvania. To learn more about careers in the union building trades visit the "Careers & Training” section of www.buildersguild.org.