Training Tomorrow’s Workforce
ABC of Western PA supports members while offering apprenticeships to staff the future
Pete Gum and Ericha McLaughlin work on behalf of the members of Associated Builders and Contractors of Western PA (ABC of Western PA). They also work on behalf of students who haven’t even graduated from high school yet.
Pete is President and Ericha is Manager of Workforce Development for the chapter, one of 70 in the United States. Associated Builders and Contractors is a construction trade association that advocates for open competition regardless of union affiliation.
The Western Pennsylvania chapter offers training, networking opportunities, community outreach and apprentice programs for non-union contractors. The apprentice programs are helping to fill an important niche in the area.
“Workforce development is the No. 1 issue in the industry right now,” Pete says. “There are over half a million construction jobs unfilled currently. That could rise to 1 to 2 million if President Trump’s infrastructure plan passes.”
Addressing the Workforce Shortage
ABC of Western PA offers some solutions to the workforce shortage, namely its four-year apprenticeship program for non-union contractors, which requires a combination of 144 classroom hours each year plus 8,000 total hours of on-the-job training. Graduates of the program earn certification from NCCER (The National Center for Construction Education and Research), recognized across the country, and they receive journeyman certification from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
Enrollment costs about $2,300 per year, less than $10,000 total for the four-year program—substantially less than a four-year college degree. Indeed, the apprenticeship is a strong alternative to community college or a traditional university.
“We work hard to change the narrative, not just with students, but also with parents,” Ericha says. “This is a really great opportunity for your child, especially if they’re a hands-on, tactile learner.”
When a student completes the program, he or she has little to no debt and is poised to make a great salary with benefits, Ericha adds. The average national salary of a tower crane operator is about $77,000, for example. The average salary for a welder is $70,000 and $53,000 for a commercial carpenter.
Employers often sponsor students, paying for some or all of the program’s costs. “Most of our apprentices are already employed,” Pete says. “Their employers are sponsoring them. Our people are always looking for good, young tradesmen.”
Offering a Head Start
High school students can even get a head start on becoming a certified tradesman, thanks to cooperation between ABC and the Western Pennsylvania public schools. Students who have access to career and technology centers (CTCs) can take classes that go toward completion of an ABC apprenticeship program. ABC provides standardized curriculum and training for the CTC teachers. More than 1,000 Western Pennsylvania high school students are enrolled in the program, representing 110 feeder high schools.
“Over the last three to four years, we’ve sponsored 10 local CTCs, where they use the same curriculum,” Pete says. “For example, a student going to a CTC in the electrical program can finish the first year of the apprenticeship before he graduates from high school.”
The program has grown with an intentional focus on relationships, Pete says, and it started small. ABC met with an administrator at one school, built trust with him and helped to get the program running. As that program became successful, word spread, Pete says.
“The biggest thing is you have to build trust with people and be supportive,” Ericha says. “ABC is a source of support. Teachers have a lot of responsibility, and we work hand in hand as much as possible.”
Achieving Success in the Industry
The apprenticeship program boasts countless success stories, with some graduates who return to help other students.
“We had a student eight years ago who came through our program, and he’s started his own commercial electrical contracting business,” Pete says. That graduate returned to ABC as an instructor two nights a week, teaching a fourth-year electrical class and helping to modernize student workstations.
“We have multiple graduates who own their own companies,” Pete says, “and others who are in senior management at other companies.”
Continuing Education and Safety Initiatives
In addition to training the next generation of journeymen, ABC is focused on advocacy on behalf of current members. The organization tracks legislation at the national, state and local levels and speaks up to advance its merit shop philosophy—the idea that contracts should be awarded based on low bids and quality of work, not union affiliation, Pete says.
The chapter helps members develop their businesses, which includes opportunities to meet others in the industry at events such as golf outings, clay target shoots and holiday parties.
The Western Pennsylvania chapter offers cost-effective continuing education, including OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour certification.
In addition, ABC offers its own proprietary Safety Training and Evaluation Process, a method to analyze and measure the effectiveness of a company’s safety program. ABC members are eligible to receive awards for evidence of adhering to rigorous safety practices.
Support for the Community
ABC also facilitates philanthropy work for its members. For the past two years, for example, members have helped children in the foster care system by gathering and packing bags with essential personal supplies that help them as they enter a new home in support of the Foster Love Project.
Members have also donated to the local animal rescue group, All But Furgotten and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
All this community work is important, just as it’s important to support the local contractors who want a fair shot at work.
ABC of Western PA strives to be relevant to every member, regardless of the size or composition of the firm. “They know what they need, but they don’t always know how to get started. We serve as a support system for them,” Ericha says.