On August 24, Boilermakers 667 held a tour of their apprenticeship training facility, inviting candidates for public office, local leaders, and media to learn more about their apprenticeship program.
The tour is part of an ongoing effort of the WV State Building Trades and affiliates to educate lawmakers, candidates, and the general public about the benefits of apprenticeship training programs.
Recently, apprenticeship has been a hot topic due to the need for more skilled labor, with so many new infrastructure projects on the horizon.
In the face of historic federal investment in infrastructure, through the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, many have expressed concerns over the potential for a labor shortage and the challenges of filling the jobs to build all the projects.
However, Steve White, Director of the Affiliated Construction Trades says he is not worried.
“I am totally confident we can supply the workforce that is needed,” said White. “We have the best training facilities and Boilermakers 667’s apprenticeship program is a perfect example.”
The Boilermakers 667 $2 million training facility, funded by both labor and management, is located in Winfield, WV and is home to a four-year, 6000-hour training program that teaches skills in a variety of welding areas.
Boilermaker work demands a high degree of technical skill and knowledge of working on boilers, power generation plants, storage tanks, pressure vessels, and other large installations of heavy mechanical and industrial equipment.
For more information on all West Virginia State Building and Construction Trades apprenticeship programs, log on to www.wvapprenticeships.com.
