Mechanical Craft Training in Western Washington

摘要

The mechanical contracting industry in the Pacific Northwest faces an increasing need for highly skilled construction labor. Like many other construction trades, the mechanical construction workforce is aging and projects are becoming increasingly sophisticated. To analyze the situation, a study was undertaken (1) to assess high school student and high school counselor attitudes toward careers as construction craftworkers, (2) to determine training opportunities in four metropolitan counties surrounding Seattle, (3) to determine training facility capacities for the mechanical trades, and (4) to project the need for new craftworkers. While a number of students were interested in construction careers, many did not know how to enter the industry. Similarly, many of the high school counselors were unaware of possible career paths in the field of construction. The construction trades training system is multi-faceted, complex, and often poorly understood by participants and customers of the system. Training opportunities consist of a mix of union Joint Apprentice and Training Committees, non-union apprenticeship programs, pre-apprenticeship and vocational/technical training programs, and on-the-job training. The existing training capacity may not meet the needs of the mechanical construction industry in the Northwest in the 21st Century.