My Journey: Mike Harris Administrator, Industry Training Institute

Mike Harris came to the sheet metal industry like so many others—by birthright. “My father, two uncles, and brother were all sheet metal workers, so you could say it was in my blood from the start,” he says “During the summers when I was in high school, I worked for the specialty sheet metal company where my father worked. I was always amazed by the metal creations that were being made from flat sheets of metal.”

After graduating high school, Harris attended college for a year before deciding that it wasn’t for him. “It was at that time, 1987, that I went to work full time as a sheet metal worker so I could learn how to create these ‘metal masterpieces’ that had captured my attention throughout the years.”

He started his apprenticeship in 1991 and started teaching part time at the Local 20 training center during his fourth year. In 1997, he started teaching full time, and by 2000 he’d taken over as director of training for the statewide training trust.

In 2005, Harris joined the ITI staff as a welding assessor, and in 2009 he took on the role of program administrator, overseeing programming and instructor training and managing field staff. In 2022, he took the reins as administrator at the ITI.

“As the administrator of the ITI, I can say that not every day is the same,” he says. “Since I travel a fair amount for work, my day may start in our office, an airport, a hotel, or some other venue across the country attending meetings or brainstorming with other industry members.”

Regardless of where he starts his day or the subject of the meeting he’s attending, Harris’ days typically involve problem solving on some level. “The part I like the best is that we are always focusing on how we can better provide training for SMART members to continue to move the unionized sheet metal industry forward,” he says. “So, the best part of my job is knowing that it can make a difference for our members and this industry.”

Harris hopes to continue to build on ITI’s success, adding new instructional offerings and developing programs for the sheet metal workers of tomorrow.

“The training system in the unionized industry is second to none,” he says. “Our industry expends a lot of resources focusing on educating our members so that they are the best trained and highly skilled workers in the sheet metal industry.”

The ITI also develops world class curriculum and programs for instructors because great teams begin with great leaders.

“Becoming a better leader is crucial for any team’s success,” he says. “A team will never outperform the leader’s ability to lead, so leadership education is paramount to our success as a team and organization.

“I genuinely believe that the ITI trains the best and the brightest,” he adds. “Our instructors are top notch, our programs are among the most advanced and dynamic in the industry, and our staff is second to none.”

For anyone just starting out in sheet metal, Harris says the industry has a place for everyone willing to work hard. “From the different types of work to the different positions that someone can aspire to, the sky is truly the limit,” he says. “Everyone’s journey through this industry will be different depending on their talents, skills, and desires. I could have never imagined the path that my career has taken through the years. The journey is more important than the destination. Taking the journey with union brothers and sisters makes it much easier than going it alone.”

Building on the industry’s important progress in labormanagement partnering is key to moving the industry forward. “We are truly all in this together,” Harris says. “Our collective strength is dependent on the talents of all involved.”

While labor and management will not always agree on everything, having a good relationship helps everyone get through the difficult discussions that inevitably come up from time to time. “I read something years ago that said, ‘How groups work together during the difficult times typically determine the longevity of the group,’” Harris says. “In our case, the group is the unionized sheet metal industry.” ▪