Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Building trades brief Allen County commissioners on apprenticeships, retention and recruitment
Summary
Representatives of local building trades told commissioners at a March 31 meet-and-greet that apprenticeship programs prioritize safety and continuing education, report retention above 90%, and are wrestling with recruitment and prevailing-wage concerns.
Representatives of local building trades spoke to the Board of Allen County Commissioners on March 31 about apprenticeship programs, training priorities and workforce challenges.
Brad Wendell, president of Building Trades and manager of the local pipefitters union, provided an overview of regional construction work and described apprenticeship and training center activities. Jack Miller summarized the apprenticeship program and said retention in the trades is "above 90%." Gary McPheron described the painting and allied trades, highlighted changes in glazing and glasswork technology, and said ongoing recruitment of new apprentices remains a significant challenge.
Panelists discussed safety and continuing-education requirements for apprentices, training-center capacity and regional labor demand. They also raised prevailing-wage concerns as a point of interest for construction employers and unions.
No formal action or vote was recorded on the topic during the session; the meet-and-greet was presented as information to commissioners.
