Looking past high school - local training in the trades

MINERAL WELLS, W.Va. (WTAP) - It’s graduation season. That means some kids are looking into college but that’s not the only option out there.

WTAP stopped by the West Virginia Construction Craft Laborers Training Center to get a glimpse of local opportunities to get into the trades.

Apprenticeship Coordinator Eric King said, “With the infrastructure bill that passed a few years ago, there’s a lot of road work that needs done, there’s a lot of just infrastructure in general, a lot of buildings that need restored…,”

According to King, not many young people know about the trades.

“A long time ago, the trades had a lot of people - word of mouth was the big way to get people into our industry and you had to know somebody to get in the trades. That’s not the case anymore,” he said.

King said the Laborers’ International Union of North America’s Mineral Wells site offers training for over 350 areas of occupation.

“We are on the pipelines, the heavy highways, building construction, any new construction, and any plant work as well,” he said.

King said their apprenticeship program takes about two years to complete. It’s about 60% hands on training and 40% bookwork.

“To get in this position, you can have little to no experience in the construction industry. We’re going to teach you everything you need to know,” he said.

King said you become a part of the Laborers’ International Union of North America as soon as you join the program. Union jobs in West Virginia start at $15 an hour or more. That number gets higher with raises through the years.

King said that you can also get 39 college credit hours through their apprenticeship program. They can apply to WVUP and a college in Wheeling, which will take the credits towards an associates degree in applied science.

King said the majority of students are commuters but there are a small number of on-site dorm rooms, as well as a cafeteria, a gym, a basketball court, and a putt-putt course.

To sign up for the apprenticeship program, go to wvccl.org.

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