By: Mitchell Kilpatrick with Alabama Newscenter
North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) is offering an Apprenticeship Readiness Program (ARP) at Bishop State Community College this summer. Prospective students are invited to attend an informational session on April 29 on the Bishop State Southwest campus (925 Dauphin Island Parkway) in the auditorium.
Sponsored by NABTU, ARPs introduce participants to union crafts and the construction industry and prepare them for apprenticeships. More than 150 of these programs nationwide develop plumbers, electricians, ironworkers, and other skilled professionals, supporting economic growth and providing contract workers for companies across the country.
NABTU and Alabama Power will be on Bishop State Community College’s campus on April 29 to answer questions about the ARP and provide information about various trades. Participants can learn about unions, the projects and industry they support, and trades that offer apprenticeships at little or no cost.
The eight-week training program at Bishop State will provide a direct path for hiring consideration in building trades for the Mobile and Pensacola areas, including specialties such as electricians, welders, equipment operators, carpenters, sheet metal workers, ironworker, and laborers. The building trades support major construction projects in the Mobile area, including the new power generating unit at Alabama Power’s Plant Barry north of Mobile.
Classes begin on July 12. Tuition costs and fees are covered by industry partners.
Recruitment for ARPs focuses on reaching historically underrepresented communities, including people of color, women, and transitioning veterans. In recent years, these training programs have increased in the Southeast, especially within the Southern Company service territory.
Founded in 1908, NABTU has the largest and most comprehensive registered apprenticeship programs and the largest apprenticeship readiness program in the U.S. construction industry.
For more information about NABTU and the ARP at Bishop State, visit the NABTU Apprenticeship Readiness Program page.