DESPITE THE NEED for every household and business to hire an electrician, plumber, welder, or other skilled trade, these industries are seeing shortages of professionals able to handle the load.
One Contra Costa County union is trying to make a dent in the dearth by offering an innovative introduction to their apprenticeship program. The Boilermakers Local 549 is reaching out to middle and high school students in the area who may want a career in boilermaker and industrial welding after high school.
What is boilermaking? It’s fabricating steel, iron, or copper into industrial boilers and other containers that hold hot gas or liquid. Boilermakers also maintain and repair the systems.
A 2024 study by Deloitte, an international professional services network, says the United States could face a shortage of nearly 2 million skilled workers over the next decade as the need for skilled workers grows and there are not enough trained, skilled workers to fill the rising gap.
The Pittsburg union is trying to change this. In November, the group opened its doors to students and their families at the organization’s training center. The event was aimed at motivating youth to join the trade.
On a sunny morning on Nov. 16, 2024, at the Boilermakers union’s center on Piedmont Way in Pittsburg, a small group of people in fancy suits and hats exchanged words in a corner of the room, their laughter breaking through the atmosphere. It was the group’s youth and family outreach, and everyone from tradespeople to state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond was in attendance.
Youth and families outreach
The event buzzed with hands-on activities, a jump house for children, and the smell of barbecue in the air.
Boilermaker apprentice Sherene Durrell said she loves attending family days with the union and interacting with students interested in the field.
“(It’s about) creating awareness that these crafts exist, construction exists, apprenticeships exist,” she said, adding that she enjoys seeing newcomers get excited about the trades.
“The kids’ eyes light up when they get to see the welding booths,” she said.
While many traditional high-paying jobs require years of college experience, there’s another option many people may be unaware of: professional “blue-collar” trades. These jobs require specialized skills and are in great demand. They also pay well.
According to the job site Indeed, the average boilermaker in California makes about $49.40 an hour.
The Pittsburg Boilermakers apprenticeship program is open to people 18 years and above with a high school diploma or a GED. The program offers on-the-job instruction and classroom teaching. In all, apprentices put in 6,000 hours of training, which can take between three and four years, according to the California Apprenticeship Coordinators Association, which works with the Pittsburg union.
U.S. Rep. Mark Desaulnier, D-Walnut Creek, was also at the apprenticeship event in Pittsburg.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize how special these programs are and how strong they are because of partnerships between the school districts, between organized labor, between businesses,” he said. “All to bring people together to have these remarkable careers where they get a great job, great pay, good benefits and they’re part of a family.”
Boilermakers Local 549 also includes welders, who are also professionals in a trade that is losing numbers, according to the American Welding Society, a nonprofit that advocates for the craft. As of October 2024, the country had a shortage or needed at least 400,000 new welders, according to the rural development arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
After all, over 50% of industrial products such as planes, cars, bridges, and medical devices made in the U.S. require welding, according to the National Science Foundation.
Janet Schulze, superintendent of the Pittsburg Unified School District, shares Desaulnier’s view that learning a skilled trade is an excellent opportunity for young people.
“Programs like these are incredibly important for the future workforce,” she said at the event. “The infrastructure for buildings, for trades … is dependent on having a workforce that has this type of skill and talent. For the young people who are interested in this type of work, it’s just critical, because we need to continue the pipeline of jobs.”
Pittsburg’s Black Diamond High School student Darien Conner, 16, attended the event with his family. He was able to put the full equipment on — a suit and mask — and used the blow torch to make a flower out of bolts and other items with his father.
“I got to see firsthand that this trade doesn’t just talk the talk. They walk the walk. It’s about empowerment, creating diversity. They support their people and their members, and that’s something I wanted to be a part of.” Sherene Durrell, boilermaker apprentice
Before attending the event, welding wasn’t a career option for him, he said. Conner had his sights set on barber school, but he wasn’t aware of how accessible the building trades were. He plans on joining the apprenticeship program this year when he turns 18.
Former Pittsburg mayor and now Contra Costa County Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston took part in the event as well and said that a four-year college degree may not be a good fit for everyone and she was glad to see that young people interested in working with their head and hands were finding connection with the trades career path as early as middle school.
Pursuing pathways early
“Students start thinking about pathways early, so once they get to high school, if college isn’t for them, then there’s other opportunities,” she said, adding that the Boilermakers program also lets students know about opportunities close to home, right here in Contra Costa County.
“These apprenticeship programs provide jobs, good paying jobs, six-figure jobs, and most people don’t know that,” she said.
Apprentice Durrell agrees.
“I got to see firsthand that this trade doesn’t just talk the talk. They walk the walk,” she said. “It’s about empowerment, creating diversity. They support their people and their members, and that’s something I wanted to be a part of.”
“Today we had a great example of how students get hands-on experience in apprenticeship,” said Thurmond at the event. “It was about middle school students learning about welding and working in the building trades and they are getting hands-on experience to enter in great career fields that will help support themselves and their families.”
The youth outreach also enriches the union members. Angel Greer is a journeyman who said she enjoys making connections with up-and-comers.
“Anytime you guys come to use our facility for something positive for the youth, I think it’s awesome,” she said.
“It’s not about who you are and who you know,” she said. “It’s about you putting the time and hours in to get where you need to be.”
Nakayla Conner is an 11th grader at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg. This story originally appeared in CCSpin.