Under the Hard Hat

Tag: Training

  • Liberty Township welcomes new Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Center

    Liberty Township welcomes new Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Center

    U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown announced the construction of the Butler Warren County Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Center (JACT) in Liberty Township, Ohio. A grant from the U.S. Department of Economic Administration will provide $1.5 million for the 19,900-square-foot project. 

    The new facility will train workers to have the necessary skills to obtain secure union jobs with great pay. The project is said to generate $20 million in private investment, create an expected 300 jobs, and retain another 200 jobs.

    “As we position Ohio to lead in the industries of the future, we need to make sure the next generation of Ohioans have the skills they need to succeed,” said Senator Brown. “The Butler Warren County Joint Apprenticeship Training Center will prepare students for careers in the trades and expand opportunities for more Ohioans to get good-paying, union jobs.”

    The $1.5 million grant is expected to cover roughly 50% of the funding needed to complete the facility, which will cover the 4300 block on Millikin Road. The IBEW Local Union 648 will own the building and lease the land to the new JACT training facility.

    Robert Angst, training director for Butler Warren Country Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Center, says, “We’re busting at the seams here. We’re looking to expand our hands-on lab area and update the program to allow more space so we can start taking on more apprentices and have an updated apprenticeship model.”

    Angst confirmed they contracted a company to write grants to aid in expanding their facility, and it took more than a year to apply for the funding they received through the U.S. Economic Development Administration. However, the bank processes, documented, and working with EDA representatives have paid off. The EDA stated that partnering will boost the capacity for electrical trade apprenticeships, preparing Butler and Warren County residents for quality jobs and economic resilience. 

    Once the zoning process is completed and approved, the facility construction will take an estimated 8-12 months.

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  • Ontario to build training center for 50,000 new workers

    Ontario to build training center for 50,000 new workers

    The Government of Ontario recently announced a $26 million investment for a new training center at LiUNA 183’s skilled trades training campus in Vaughan. Premier Doug Ford’s $224 million Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream will fund the center and support the training of over one million workers throughout the province. 

    Currently, the LiUNA 183 training campus can support around 50,000 workers in training for in-demand careers in trades such as bricklaying, concrete finishing, and heavy equipment operation. The new facility will enable LiUNA 183 to double that capacity to approximately 100,000. 

    Photo source: LiUNA Local 183

    “Through our new $224 million Skills Development Fund Capital Stream, our government is continuing to support the world-class Ontario workers who are rebuilding our province’s economy,” said Premier Doug Ford. “I’m so pleased that we are able to work with LiUNA 183 to help nearly 50,000 additional workers from across the GTA access the skills and training they need to find better jobs and bigger paycheques in the skilled trades.”

    Regarding building upgrades, the funding will go toward a larger union hall for the increased capacity and more workshops and classrooms so the influx of workers can receive in-class and in-house training. LiUNA 183 is Canada’s largest training program; workers can even access training to construct a full-sized two-story home right within the center. 

    David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration Training and Skills Development, says, “Under Premier Ford, our government has an ambitious plan to build Ontario: from new housing that families can call home, to highways and public transit connecting our communities, and clean energy projects powering our economy, but as a large share of experienced tradespeople are retiring over the coming years, we must transfer the skills and expertise from the Golden Generation of Skilled Tradespeople to the next generation of students. That’s why we’re partnering with LiUNA 183 to train almost 100,000 new construction workers who will leverage the wisdom of experienced tradespeople to build Ontario’s bright future.”

    Once complete, the training center will boost access to apprenticeship training by up to 40% for people, including women, youth, and other underrepresented groups, who want to gain new skills and train for successful jobs.

    The LiUNA Local 183 Training Centre provides health and safety training, construction skills training, and apprenticeship training in six areas: Toronto, Cobourg, Kingston, Barrie, Cambridge, and Vaughan.