Through the program, accepted apprentices learn through classroom, training center, and on-the-job work to operate this equipment and gain access to high-paying, quality employers such as E.T. Simonds. “There’s plenty of work available, and we’re starting to get a little bit short-handed,” explains Jason Sissom, an instructor with Local 318. “Even if you’re just out of high school at 18 and meet all requirements, you’ll have the opportunity to work.” More information on the application process is available at the local’s website.

If selected, apprentices go through a four-year path of training and experiences, earning a portion of full union journeyman wages and receiving benefits. “You get the same benefits and insurance throughout the apprenticeship as the journeymen do,” he says. Coursework is usually scheduled in the wintertime – off-peak season for construction projects, he explains. The training center experiences are offset with 300 hours each year of actual on-the-job training. 

More information about applying for the apprenticeship program is available online at www.iuoelocal318.com or by calling the local at (618) 993-0318. Applications must be turned in at the union hall, located at 3310 Water Tower Rd. in Marion.