PROGRAM INFORMATION

Sheet Metal Workers` Local 104 and Bay Area Training Fund is a joint Labor-Management Trust dedicated to providing the men and women of the unionized sheet metal industry the highest level of training skills and knowledge in this trade.

The sheet metal trade is unique because it is one of the few crafts that starts with raw material and then creates a component, installs, and maintains the product.

In a shop, workers determine the quantity and type of material they will need to correspond with blueprints and specifications. Using a combination of mathematics, layout tools, hammers, drills, hacksaws, plasma and laser beam cutting systems, computers, cutting, forming, seaming or welding machines, workers manipulate the material into the product desired. Pre-fabricated parts are transported to construction job sites for installation according to blueprints and careful coordination on the jobsite.

The maintenance sector includes start-up, preventive maintenance, repair, testing, balancing and sometimes certification of the installed systems. Items commonly fabricated and installed include HVAC systems, metal roofs, kitchen hoods, various flashings, gutters, decorative architectural features and many other items made of a variety of metals.

Workers constantly meet new challenges, using their hands, visualizing and analyzing how components can be made or installed, how mechanical systems work, and practice human relations in working with clients and coordinating with other workers. It is an interesting and evolving field with exciting growth potential.The apprenticeship is an earn-while-you-learn program involving paid full-time work and related classes.

Sheet Metal Workers` Local 104 and Bay Area Training Fund provide apprentice training in the following 5-year programs.

This is a 5-year program with 216 hours per year of day or evening class instruction and on-the-job training while working full-time for a sheet metal contractor. The type of work performed can range from detailing, layout, fabrication or installation of duct systems to architectural sheet metal, metal roofing and a variety of other shop or field sheet metal work, including job coordination and supervision. This trade is involved in the commercial construction industry and can be very demanding physically, including climbing, lifting, standing, and working around heights and hazards. A high school diploma or GED is required, and a strong mechanical background is recommended.

This is a 5-year program with 216 hours per year of day or evening class instruction and on-the-job training, working full time for a sheet metal contractor. The type of work performed includes maintenance, repair, startups, controls, refrigeration, and installation on a wide range of HVAC equipment, mostly larger commercial systems. The work can vary from light physical activity to lifting heavy equipment parts. The application process also includes an interview. A high school diploma or GED is required. Good customer relations skills, writing skills and a technical/troubleshooting inclination are helpful.

This is a 5-year program with 216 hours per year of day or evening class instruction and on-the-job training working full time for a sheet metal contractor. The type of work performed can range from pressure testing, adjusting and balancing of duct systems for energy efficiency to commissioning and complete documentation of HVAC systems in commercial buildings. The work can vary from light physical activity to maneuvering into limited access areas with tools and equipment. The application process also includes an interview. A high school diploma or GED is required, and a strong math background is recommended. Good communication skills are needed to interact with clients. Workers must follow a strict code of ethics for technician certification.