Contractors, trades were out in force for apprenticeship week

Contractors, construction association and the skilled trades held multiple events for the 10th anniversary of National Apprenticeship Week, focusing on recruiting new people into the workforce and celebrating those in training.

National Apprenticeship Week took place from Nov. 17-23 this year, with 2,200 events across all 50 states, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The week’s theme, “10 Years of Engagement, Expansion, and Innovation,” celebrated thousands of events that allowed people to learn about registered apprenticeship since the week’s inception.

The industry estimates at least 500,000 people are needed to bridge the demand for labor, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors.

Different construction associations and skilled trades either sponsored events or held their own across Wisconsin this year. Here’s how the week went for construction groups in southeast Wisconsin:

Building Trades targeted schools and reported higher turnout than expected

The Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council and Building Advantage kicked off the week with high school tours through union construction training centers, said Dan Bukiewicz, president of the MBCTC. The groups worked with partners such as Greenfield High School, which previously worked with the trades introducing high school students to construction careers, he added.

Current apprentices talked to students about registered apprenticeship being a “game changer” in the state of Wisconsin, Bukiewicz noted. Turnout at schools’ trade events was larger than expected, with dozens more students attending than expected, he added.

On Wednesday, We Energies, Milwaukee Area Technical College and the city of Milwaukee celebrated the one-year-old MATC’s Electrical Power Distribution (EPD)/Line Mechanic technical training program at the Metcalfe Park neighborhood in Milwaukee.

Students in the four-year program climbed poles and performed power installations, a job typically for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2150 or We Energies personnel.

“Through this partnership we have increased access to many family-supporting careers,” said Anthony J. Cruz, MATC president, in a statement. “At the same time, this initiative opens the door to high-paying careers in trades for students who otherwise may not have known they existed,” he added.

Construction associations co-sponsor events across the state

WRTP | BIG STEP started off the week with a roundtable discussion at Employ Milwaukee’s headquarters. The event featured a panel discussion with apprentices who shared experiences throughout all stages of their apprenticeship journey, networking with employers and exploring the union trades, according to WRTP officials.

The nonprofit also held a two-day career fair in Racine and for one day in Madison, with both events featuring hands-on activities and discussions from key players in the skilled trades. The Racine career fair had hands-on activities in fabrication, robotics, welding and CNC work, while Madison featured representatives from the Madison Metropolitan School District’s youth apprenticeship program.

The AGC of Wisconsin co-sponsored WRTP | BIG STEP’s career fair in Madison. The association also had a table at Future Quest, a career exploration event for students and employers at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

The Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin took part in several technical college events for National Apprenticeship Week. The association didn’t host a standalone event, but Elizabeth Roddy, the recruitment and training director for ABC Wisconsin, said she did presentations at different schools.

The Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee focused on supporting other events, said Mark Kessenich, CEO of AGC-GM.

Before apprenticeship week, construction group hosted career fair in Milwaukee

Before National Apprenticeship Week, Building Advantage on Nov. 14 hosted its annual career fair at the Fiserv Forum for Milwaukee-area high school students. Organizers sai around 1,200 students from 48 area schools attended and the event featured 46 booths from different construction trades. This was the largest high school-focused construction fair in the state, according to organizers.

In advance of apprenticeship week, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development announced there were 17,089 individuals enrolled in the Registered Apprenticeship program, a record number for the state.