The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) recently announced that several member companies including Steel Fab Enterprises LLC, Lancaster, Pa. (also an AISC Member/Advanced Certified steel erector), are joining its Ironworker Training Unit and Assessment Site (TU/AS) network early this year. The initiative builds on the ironworker craft training curriculum the association developed several years ago in partnership with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and expands its availability to a wider marketplace. The program provides industry-recognized credentials to ironworkers and helps employers develop a qualified skilled labor pool.
“As SEAA members, these companies participate under NCCER’s SEAA sponsorship, cutting their costs and administrative requirements and providing opportunities for collaboration in developing a training curriculum,” said Tim Eldridge, craft training and assessment coordinator for SEAA and president of Education Services Unlimited.
With the recent addition of Steel Fab and other companies, SEAA will sponsor ironworker training and assessment sites in eight states. “Several other member companies have expressed an interest as well,” noted Eldridge. “We hope to double the number of participating companies in 2016.”
To assist members with startup costs, the SEAA Education Committee will award a Craft Training Grant (not to exceed $4,500) to a member company at the 2016 SEAA Convention and Trade Show. The 44th annual meeting will be held April 27-29 in Concord, N.C. For more information, visit www.seaa.net/Craft_Training.
Participating companies also have access to SEAA’s U.S. Department of Labor-approved Apprenticeship Program, which allows members to create formal training that meets standards recognized by Federal and State governments.