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Milwaukee — Demand for skilled trade workers is soaring in the United States.
Also, the current labor shortage has forced builders to ramp up their hiring efforts.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1 million people between the ages of 55 and 64 currently work in the industry. This will open up a significant number of positions over the next decade.
Joel Zielke, business manager at Steamfitters Local 601, said of jobs involving pipe assembly, installation, maintenance and repair, “Steamfitters are in high demand. We currently have about 400 apprentices, but there are still Not good enough.”
He said baby boomers are leaving the workforce. He also added that the cities of Milwaukee and Madison where they are located continue to grow.
The union is trying to increase the number of skilled workers, but some workers are still active.
Rachel Nelson is in her fifth year as a construction steam fitter apprentice. She said her military career shaped her work ethic and adjusted her to working in a male-dominated field.
(Spectrum News 1/Catalina Velázquez)
Nelson said she wants to work on something she can do. As a single mother she needed something to help feed her daughter.
“You don’t get all your college debt out of this apprenticeship,” Nelson said. “You are earning a really respectable wage.”
She said her job is also teaching valuable lessons that she can pass on to her daughter.
“It showed my daughter what she could do,” said Nelson. “She doesn’t have to fit into this box of society.”
Arturo Contreras knows what it’s like to work in this industry. As a fifth-year welding apprentice and father of a four-year-old, he says his profession helps him support his family.
“Having previous welding experience has really helped me move forward at the company I work for,” says Contreras.
(Spectrum News 1/Catalina Velázquez)
Although he comes from a long line of dirty-hands manufacturing workers, he was the first in his family to join the steamfitter profession.
Despite the hard work involved, he said it was worth it.
“It’s been a long day and it can be brutal at times,” he said. “But if you think this is something you really want to do, pursue it.”
Steamfitters Local 601 has 2,400 members in 14 counties in southeastern Wisconsin.
The company is always looking for the best talent to join the local community as travelers or apprentices. For more information, please visit our website.
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