On Nov. 21, more than 60 members (ages 18-24) and staff from the California Conservation Corps centers in the Solano and Sacramento County areas visited the SMW Local 104 and Bay Area Industry Training Fund training facility in Fairfield for an informational tour during their career week.
Prior to the tour, participants met in the assembly hall for introductions by the training and union staff members providing the tour, as well as a general information presentation on the unionized building trades and, specifically, the sheet metal industry and apprenticeship.
Attendees were able to visit each lab and shop area and see demonstrations showcasing each of the different facets of Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 104 and the training provided.
- Training coordinator Pat Pico provided information and demonstrations of testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) in the TAB shop/lab and equipment service work in the service shop/lab areas.
- Training coordinator Nate Vennarucci provided information and demonstrated HVAC systems, computer design and building information modeling on the large screen in the assembly hall.
- Instructor Ben Alva and Business Representative Alicia Mijares provided information and demonstrated sheet metal design, shop fabrication and installation in the sheet metal shop.
- Instructor Ben Alva and Business Representative Alicia Mijares provided information and visual examples of industrial fabrication and welding in the welding lab.
Groups of attendees rotated to each different area to see and learn, and were able to observe some apprentices in action during actual class sessions taking place. Many participants expressed thanks and said the tour opened their eyes to what sheet metal was all about. Afterwards, several expressed interest in making sheet metal their career path.
“Going into the presentation, I wasn’t too interested in the idea, but I was quickly persuaded once I realized there was a much larger technical aspect to the trade,” said corps member Tristan Flood. “It was a huge standout and my personal favorite part of career week, and something I am heavily considering applying for. And if it wasn’t for career week, I probably would never have discovered this union.”
Another corps member, Kris Lee, was impressed with the culture and camaraderie on display alongside the technical information.
“Your workplace feels like a place where everyone is there for each other and enthusiastic about their work,” Lee said. “Your presentation has made me interested in applying for an apprenticeship in the future, so I hope that we made a good impression during our visit.”
Presenters fielded questions at each area after individual presentations, and the event ended with a general Q&A session in the assembly hall about Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 104 and apprenticeship opportunities.
