may-2017

ACS front loads training in an intensive hands-on

program that includes the use of a training tower, and

pays the apprentice ironworkers as they are learning by

tapping military transition funds, grants, and workforce

development money. The company is founded and man-

aged by veterans. It partners with employers to develop

skilled ironworkers from qualified U.S. military veterans

at no cost to the veteran. Veterans are employed, trained,

and join companies and crews with other veterans. “We

understand that one of the most important factors in

successfully re-integrating to civilian life is a steady pay-

check,” explains Nick Morgan, founder and president. “In

addition, we understand that veterans can fill a critical

labor shortage in the steel erection industry.”

The company,which opened its doors in April 2016, had

already successfully trained and placed more than 100 vet-

erans on jobs performing steel erection activities by the end

of the year.Within sixmonths, the company had achieved

U.S. Department of Labor approval of its ironworker appren-

ticeship program, using the SEAA Ironworker Apprentice-

ship template.According to Morgan,ACS is the largest merit

shop ironworker apprenticeship program in the United

States. In 2017, it is looking to hire 400 ironworker appren-

tices, and expand training locations near military bases in

Oklahoma and Colorado in the central region, in the east in

Georgia,North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, and at western

locations in Oregon and California.

Garrison Steel Erectors, Inc. in Pell City, Ala., recently of-

fered its first hands-on ironworker training class for high

school students, with 22 students from local schools. The

class, currently being led by Garrison Owner and CEO

John Garrison, is many years in the making.

In Alabama, construction owner and contractor groups

began supporting a marketing program called GoBuild Alabama

(gobuildalabama.com

) in 2009, which has helped to change

the image of construction in the minds of young people, and

their teachers and parents. Then in 2015, after nearly 20 years

of lobbying, the state legislature passed the Alabama Craft

Training Act, which collects $1 for every $1000 of construc-

tion value on building permits throughout the state. For

instance a $60,000,000 project would generate $60,000

for construction workforce development.

Funds will be managed by the Alabama Craft Training

Board, which will award grants to qualified training

programs. “It is anticipated that as much as $3-5 mil-

lion per year will be available for distribution to ju-

nior colleges and other public and private training

programs,” said Garrison. Collections began in Oc-

tober 2016; funding will be used for craft train-

ing, which is for non-working students; appren-

ticeship training, which is for incumbent

workers wanting to upgrade skills; and

task training, which includes one-

time short term training for

special purposes.