TOOLS OF THE TRADES: How apprenticeships are making a comeback.

• Author: Madison, Rachel
• Position: Focus

For the last several years, Utahns who work in the trades--like manufacturing and construction--have been discussing an industry-wide concern that millennials aren't interested in the careers they have to offer. Because of this, several Utah organizations have beefed up their apprenticeship programs and created other initiatives specifically to entice high school students and young adults to consider careers in the trades.

HANDS-ON TRAINING

About seven years ago, the Utah Mechanical Contractors Association (UMCA) built a more than $6 million, 30,000-square-foot training center in Salt Lake City called the Utah Career Center, which now serves as a hub for apprenticeships in the plumbing, pipefitting, welding and HVAC service trades.

The program, which is jointly administered by UA Local 140 and UMCA, was designed to feel much like a technical college experience for students, says Robert Bergman, executive vice president of the UMCA.

"It's not like your grandfather's apprenticeship program," he says. "Over the years, the high school counselors have tended to look at apprenticeship and training programs as a last resort, but in our case, we provide four distinct options that pay really well, have great benefits and provide a great retirement. The state requires four years of an apprenticeship to become licensed, but we require five years."

Currently, the Utah Career Center has a little over 300 students training in the four trade programs. "Our growth has been steady," Bergman says. "Historically, our average is around 200 to 250 students, so we have definitely experienced a growth. We're making some headway in growing the construction market for our companies. Our facility has plenty of capacity to continue to grow. We've currently got 38 companies that participate in this program."

Students who attend the Utah Career Center must be employed by one of the 38 participating companies. First-year apprentices make an average of $37,000 a year, says Will Nickell, director of training at the Utah Career Center. "Most students when they're done have no student debt. Every year they get a 10 percent increase. By the time they're done with the five years of training, they will be making about $68,000 plus benefits, which pushes it up to $85,000."

Apprentices are in class nine hours a week for 30 weeks a year for the whole five years. That corresponds roughly with community college semesters, says Nickell, and all of the apprentices earn six credit...