We believe that women and men who have served our country not only deserve a great career, but also a chance to be the first candidates that we consider when recruiting for our apprenticeship opportunity.
We have three trades that we apprentice- Plumbing, HVAC, and Pipefitting. Welding is a part of all of these trades. Each trade is a 5 year earn while you learn program. Students are mentored on the job by Journeyworkers and go to school where they learn trade specific subjects. We work with the United Association to provide excellent training; the UA spends over 100 million annually on apprentice and journeyworker training! We are investing in our future workforce; it is our proven pathway to success.
In addition, we provide excellent wages and benefits, including medical insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, a pension and an annuity retirement plan. The Veteran will also have the option to utilize their GI bill in our program, and because we are full scholarship, they keep their GI bill benefit for additional income.
Some of the Veterans join our program through the VIP (Veterans In Piping program. To ease the transition back into civilian life, the United Association established the UA Veterans in Piping (VIP) Program to equip military service members preparing to leave the service with sought after skills that can lead to lifelong careers in the increasingly in-demand pipe trades. Through 18-week accelerated courses – provided free of cost on military bases across the country – VIP participants earn industry-recognized certifications and a direct entry into solid private-sector jobs with good pay and benefits. In addition to veteran unemployment, the UA VIP Program was created to address a growing shortage in the construction industry of skilled workers due to the combined effects of an aging workforce, increased demand, and a lack of skills training for youth. With praise from Congress, the U.S. Department of Labor, the military and media, the UA VIP Program is recognized as one of the best active-duty military transition programs in the country.
Our Apprentices also have the option to attain a college degree at little to no cost. When they graduate from the apprenticeship, each student is encouraged to take five additional online classes to attain their Associates degree in applied science specific to the trade they have chosen.
The United Association has always emphasized continued education for our members and has been a strong advocate for affordable tuition for our families. They recently announced a new benefit, The United Association Free College Benefit, a program that will benefit our members and their families by allowing them to obtain an Associate Degree for free!
Working full time as an apprentice and going to school part time is a challenge, but our current Veteran apprentices are up to the challenge. UA Local 716 very recently graduated three veterans, who are now successful Journeyworkers and a testament to our program.
If you are interested in fining out more about our opportunity, please send a current resume to lu716tc1@uanet.org. Jennifer McKenna, our Training Director, will reach out to you with the date for the next scheduled virtual apprenticeship information meeting.