Trending
The skilled trades aren't just a great outlet for Ohio Valley residents to find good, solid jobs. They're an integral part of the fabric of our community. They're the people who literally build our future from the ground up.
The more members of that profession, the better it is for the valley, so it is wonderful to see the Appalachian Regional Commission and Ironworkers Local 549 come together for a $3.5 million expansion of the local's training facilities.
As announced this past week, the ARC is supplying a $1.75 million construction grant and the Local 549 is providing matching funds. Funding was secured through ARC's Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative, in which federal resources are directed to economic diversification and revitalization projects in Appalachian communities affected by the downturn of the coal industry.
Stephen Sipos, apprenticeship coordinator for Local 549, said the expansion will offer the ability to train up to 90 apprentices per session, 30 per class in the three-year program. That boosts the current output of skilled ironworkers in the region by one-third.
"The additional apprentices will mean more local workers constructing buildings, repairing bridges and contributing fully to their communities in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio," Sipos said. "We feel all of these upgrades to the training center will be the foundation for our recruiting efforts. Apprenticeship training is essential for developing a highly skilled Ironworkers labor workforce, as it combines hands-on experience with technical instruction to ensure workers are proficient in the latest tools, techniques and safety practices."
The Ohio Valley, and the Wheeling area especially, is in the midst of a construction boom. Sipos ticked off a number of projects that already have been completed using union ironworkers - the Wheeling Suspension Bridge renovation, the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center at Wheeling Park High School and Cabela's at The Highlands among them. He also mentioned major projects to come, like WVU Medicine's regional cancer center to be built where the former Ohio Valley Medical Center stood. And don't think that is the conclusion of construction in the region. Several other new buildings have been announced, and when their construction begins, a more robust workforce will help make for easier and quicker project completions.
And, while the facility will sit in Wheeling, it's not just the Wheeling area that will benefit. The Ironworkers Local 549's jurisdiction encompasses nearly 9,000 square miles - 12 counties in West Virginia, six counties in Ohio and two counties in Pennsylvania. Dozens of communities will be better off with this expansion.
The construction at the Center Wheeling facility will hopefully start in the first quarter of 2025 and take about a year and a half to complete. Now that the Local 549 is building it, those interested in an apprenticeship should come when it's completed. The renovated facility will offer even more opportunities for those wanting to join the skilled trades to do so, and be a part of building the future of the Ohio Valley.