Back to Basics
Sheet metal apprentices prepare for a modern HVAC career By / Emell Derra Adolphus
Sheet Metal Workers Local 88 Training Director Ed Abraham was a third-year apprentice when he started drafting for one of the largest mechanical contractors in Las Vegas, Nevada. His first job was the Bellagio Hotel, he remembers. “They brought me into the trailer and said, ‘Here you go, start drawing.’” Then in 1995, the company told him he was out of a job because they were going to go computerized. “Well, I was willing to learn it, so they pulled me into the office and gave me the computer and software,” says Abraham, who ended up running the company’s CAD department for 28 years. “I was a one-man show for the largest mechanical contractor for a few years. I would slowly bring in people as jobs progressed, and I normally ran a crew of about 15 people.” Early on, the experience taught Abraham to learn as many new skills as he could. Now, drawing on his more than 34 years of experience in the sheet metal trade, Abraham has made learning as much as you can a major part of the JATC’s core curriculum. “That’s why we want a well-rounded sheet metal person,” he says. “Otherwise, you are just going to be sitting around on the books not working.” 6 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
As training director, Abraham is responsible for running the apprenticeship school and hiring the instructors for the program. Currently Currently, he has 23 instructors working at the training center.
This semester Local 88 has a total of 114 apprentices. “That’s a 40% increase in the last two years,” says Abraham. The training cnetre also recently accepted 30 first-year apprentices to start the 2020-2021 school year. “Once they start the school year, we will be up 50% to 60%.”
Prospective students come from all over and from a wide array of work backgrounds. “They’ve had the dead-end jobs, and they say they are looking for a career,” says Abraham. “A lot of it is word of mouth from friends that are in the trade. They see that these apprentices are doing well, and they get interested. We also do a lot of career fairs.” The goal is to help new and potential recruits understand what a sheet metal worker is and the quality of career that is possible in the field. “Anyone who isn’t excited to get up and go to work should move on or find something different,” he says. “The more skills you learn, the easier it is to find something that you truly love and that makes you happy.”
