Southern Ohio Administrative District Council Apprentice Class Trains Rural Locals

The Southern Ohio Administrative District Council’s Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, which currently manages the Journeyman Upgrade, Foreman, and Steward Training programs, have instituted a new apprenticeship program for Locals 9, 32, 44, and 52 Ohio. Last spring apprentices from Bellaire, Zanesville, Athens, and Pomeroy attended the first ever apprentice class at the Mid-East Career and Technology Center in Zanesville, OH instructed by SOADC Field Representative Ted Linscott and assisted by Local 44 OH member Joe Wahl. The class consisted of 160 hours of training during which apprentices studied trade math, OSHA 10-hour safety, scaffold users safety, blueprint reading, first aid/CPR, labor history, grout and reinforcement certification, and personal finance. SOADC Field Representative Phil Reynolds of Local 22 OH also provided training on cement finishing to the class.

SOADC-JATC’s first apprentice class. Back row, from left: Jason Teasdale, Instructor Ted Linscott, Jeremiah Shields, Gary Vermillion, Todd DeGarmo, and Adam Blair. Middle row, from left: Garold Clark, Bryan Six, Mike Campbell, and Jeff Schmidt. Front row, from left: David Hart, Josh Brown, Instructor Joe Wahl, Ron Harvey, and Nick Morgan.

With successful Local apprenticeship programs currently functioning in Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, the SOADC felt it was time to bring a competitive training program to the more rural parts of Southern Ohio.

Says SOADC Director Mike Bednarczuk, “The rural areas have not had effective apprenticeship training programs for quite some time. We’ve intended on promoting a District Council-based program for a while and are currently in the early stages. But with last spring’s success, we will no doubt be accepting applications for next spring.”

Since the program is meant to compliment IMI’s already extensive training opportunities, the SOADC eventually would like to network the program with successful Local programs already in progress, while still allowing those programs to maintain their identities. This new apprentice program is registered in all masonry trades, not just bricklaying.

“If there is a contractor in need of qualified workers for a specific trade, and the Local does not provide training for that trade, the SOADC is able to provide the training and send the member back to their Local qualified, competent, and ready to work,” explains Bednarczuk. “The training program’s sole purpose is to maintain a skilled workforce throughout Southern Ohio in all masonry trades.”