TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION SMACNA and SMART work together to adapt to a changing future.
By / Natalie Bruckner • Photos courtesy of the ITI, Local 88, and Local 4
In today’s world technology is the number one driver of
change, no matter what industry you are in. This can seem a rather daunting concept, especially considering the speed at which technology is evolving and the impact it is having on the workforce. And yet, are the current changes we are experiencing really any different from previous iterative technological improvements? Remember the hand crank drill, which performed a job now done by a machine? Could technology help open up more opportunities to those in the industry and attract a more diverse workforce? Ron McGuire, BIM specialist at the International Training Institute (ITI), believes so. He is witnessing the benefits of technological advancements first-hand. “Technology provides us with an opportunity to gain more market share as our numbers become more competitive due to improved technological efficiencies,” he says. “It also gives our apprentices the chance to experience real-life scenarios and can extend the work life of those who may, for whatever reason, have had to leave the industry.” One example of this is John Sciara, project manager for SMACNA member CS3, Inc. in Tennessee. In 2016, Sciara suffered a stroke while out hunting with his son. For many, this could have meant the end of a successful 24-year career as a sheet metal worker. However, Sciara had the foresight a few years earlier to take an AutoCAD course, paid for by SMART Local 4 in Memphis and the ITI, as part of his union membership. It was fortuitous as this meant Sciara could continue working in the industry. To support him as he transitioned across, his employer invested in software that not only enabled Sciara to do his job better, but also the company. 4 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
“John’s success story is a perfect example of the benefits of welcoming technology into our industry and the importance of adding it to our toolbox,” McGuire says. “It was not only an opportunity for him, but also for his contractor, as they were able to land more complex jobs that required state-of-the-art technology.” John Williams, business manager/financial secretary at Local 4, agrees. “We don’t want to stay in the Middle Ages,” he says. “It’s healthy for the industry to keep moving forward. With age, sheet metal workers notoriously get crooked spines and arthritis in their hands. Technology reduces the physical demands and increases longevity in the job. The reality is that technology will take on some of the more back-breaking, monotonous jobs, and it opens up new opportunities.”
