NABTU’s Sean McGarvey shares vision of boosting middle class with new jobs created by the Infrastructure Act

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Sheri Gassaway
July 10, 2023

North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey stopped in St. Louis last week to share how the organization is working with local and state building trades leaders, community groups and government officials to help boost the middle-class and create good-paying jobs after passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The event, hosted by the Missouri Works Initiative, Missouri AFL-CIO and St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council, was a part of NABTU’s national multi-city road tour to demonstrate how union-trained workers are prepared to meet the moment. The event was held at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 union hall in St. Louis and included a tour of the union’s state-of-the-art training center.

“There’s over 250,000 people in our training programs and we can ramp that up to one million,” Garvey said. “With the investments made by the Biden-Harris Administration and members of Congress, we’re going to start filling those numbers up and growing these training programs through our apprentice-ready programs like BUD and creating pathways to the middle-class for everyone who wants an opportunity.”

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The Skilled Labor Battle: Trade School Vs. College

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Jan. 10, 2023 | Kelly L. Faloon

When it comes to preparing for their work future, today’s young people have some difficult decisions ahead of them: what they want to do in their work life, where to obtain the knowledge and training, how to pay for their education, and what the job prospects will be when they complete their schooling.

For anyone desiring a college degree, the price can be daunting in any field.

“The cognitive competencies that are in high demand in the workforce are generally associated with higher levels of education,” notes a report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW). “Today, two out of three jobs require postsecondary education and training, while three out of four jobs in the 1970s required a high school diploma or less. Yet while young people today need more education than ever to compete in the labor market, a college education is more expensive than in the past.”

The 2021 report, “If Not Now, When? The Urgent Need for an All-One-System Approach to Youth Policy,” illustrates that between 1980 and 2020, college costs rose 169%. …

The Skilled Labor Dilemma

So how can young people obtain a secondary education that will provide them with a good standard of living but not cripple them in debt?

Whether you call it trade school, vocational school or career and technical education (CTE), these learning institutions can teach young people the skills and training they need to enter a career with financial stability, such as plumbing, HVACR or electrical. These jobs are fairly recession-proof and cannot be outsourced overseas.

The market size of U.S. trade and technical schools is $15.1 billion in 2022, notes an IBIS World market report. And a Bloomberg article notes that more young people are entering apprenticeship programs in many industries.

“U.S. companies are increasingly tapping high school students for skilled jobs,” the August 2022 article notes. “As a result, apprenticeships are seeing a renaissance after failing to gain a foothold over the past few decades. About 214,000 people aged 16 to 24 were in apprenticeships in 2022, more than double the amount a decade ago, according to July data from the U.S. Department of Labor.”

Bloomberg adds that it’s “part of a national rethink by employers scrambling to fill about 10.7 million vacancies by developing their own talent pipelines.”

Regarding trade careers in construction, plumbing and HVACR are some of the highest-paying trades today. Candidates can obtain a two-year associate’s degree or certification, but many go directly into four- or five-year apprenticeship programs.

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Veterans can trade helmets for hardhats [Opinion]

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Helmets to Hardhats is a national nonprofit that empowers our nation’s service members to succeed once they choose to return to civilian life by connecting them to sustainable apprenticeship training programs and career opportunities in the building and construction industry.

By Leonard Aguilar | Nov. 11, 2018

Our veterans are tough – they can do anything they put their minds to. They are our nation’s bravest men and women – individuals who have dedicated their lives to service.

With that said, transitioning from military to civilian life is an understandably challenging time for many veterans. There are many unknowns: How will this work? What comes next?

In my role as executive director and secretary-treasurer of the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council, I know what it takes to thrive in the construction industry. I have also seen firsthand how the skills and qualities developed in the military can prove invaluable on a jobsite – from diligence and resilience, to drive and integrity.

As Veterans Day is upon us, I would like to highlight one organization that gets it right: Helmets to Hardhats.

Helmets to Hardhats is a national nonprofit that empowers our nation’s service members to succeed once they choose to return to civilian life by connecting them to sustainable apprenticeship training programs and career opportunities in the building and construction industry.

Yes, returning home can be difficult. However, our focus should shift to making veterans’ homecomings less burdensome – both on themselves and on their families. If veterans are made aware of the opportunities that await them, returning home can become less stressful and more exciting.

The apprenticeship training of North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) is a natural fit for transitioning service members.

When Helmets to Hardhats connects the armed forces community with this training, it can be a perfect match – evidenced by the fact that most individuals who experience successful transitions begin with little to no experience in their chosen field.

Even better, the apprenticeship programs are privately-funded – provided by the trade organizations and their contractors at no cost to American taxpayers.

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