Workforce Under Construction

The Construction Industry Training Council of Washington (CITC) has added three new statewide apprenticeship programs to its offerings: laborers, residential electricians and low energy electricians. CITC’s laborers program is the first open shop laborers program in the State and the tenth craft recognized by the State for CITC.  The residential electrical program and low energy program were approved in July of 2014 and can both be found under CITC’s electrical offerings.

The Laborers program is a three-year, 6000 hour on the job apprenticeship program  that includes 160 hours of classroom/lab work per year for an individual’s apprenticeship. The newly approved program will begin classes in October through February in Spokane. Apprentices will attend classes for one week each month for 40 hours each of those weeks.  Apprentices will then return to their employers to work alongside experienced journeymen for the balance of each month.

“This is a major milestone,” said Frank Imhof, of IMCO Construction headquartered in Ferndale. “We have been training with CITC for more than 15 years and have wanted a laborers program for all of that time.”

Laborers are integral to all construction work. They are usually the first constructions workers on the jobsite and the last off the site. Their training includes safety, first aid, flagging, and general construction skills needed for laborers to perform their job.  Laborer tasks range from general skills including site preparation and maintenance to specific skills that include areas such as environmental remediation, building construction and heavy highway construction.

“Given the significant labor shortage the construction industry is and will be experiencing for the foreseeable future, Associated Builders and Contractors is pleased that CITC has received approval from the state apprenticeship council,” said Kathleen Garrity, president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington. “CITC administers excellent apprenticeship programs for its other nine crafts, and adding the laborers program is an important addition in open shops’ ability to train its workforce.”

“The construction industry needs to attract young people into the workforce to replace the baby boomers who are and will continue to be retiring over the next few years,” said Tony Thompson General Manager of C. A. Carey Corporation and Chair of CITC’s construction craft laborers program.” We look forward to participating in the newly approved laborers apprenticeship program and will do our part to train the workforce of tomorrow.”

“Our apprenticeship programs are filling a crucial skills-gap in the industry,” said Halene Sigmund, president of CITC. The construction industry is experiencing severe labor shortages and these programs are a gateway for motivated, men and women to enter into construction careers and gain skills as they move through their apprenticeship of choice to journey level. CITC graduates have become key leaders in their companies in the field and in the office.  Many have become executives and/or own their own companies in their chosen fields.  The industry offers many opportunities for growth to those who find they want a career in construction.”

In addition to it’s three new programs, CITC provides state-approved apprenticeship and craft training in the carpentry, electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, heavy equipment operator, painting, plumbing, and sheet metal trades.  CITC also runs continuing education classes for license renewal for plumbers and electricians. The program is dedicated to training, developing and retaining a skilled labor force for the construction industry and is both a nationally accredited and state-approved apprenticeship training program.

Find more information on the program here.