Local 124’s training coordinator chosen to instruct trainers, build curriculum
Trent London, a second-generation sheet metal worker and longtime training coordinator at Sheet Metal Workers Local 124, in Oklahoma City, has joined the International Training Institute (ITI) as a field representative.
In his new role, London will help build curriculum, train instructors at training centers to instruct apprentices, proctor training center accreditation, and offer additional support for training centers in the Northeast, from Washington, D.C. north to New Brunswick in Canada.
London began his career in sheet metal at Swanda Brothers, Inc., in 1996. He soon decided to enter apprenticeship at Local 124, became a journey worker and shop foreman, then began teaching part-time at his local’s training center. By 2002 he was a full-time instructor and a training coordinator three years later.
Early on, London spent time at the University of Nebraska and Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Missouri, pursuing a teaching degree, so opportunities to teach in the trades seemed a natural fit. The future of technology in the industry also is an exciting aspect of the new position, he said.
“I enjoy teaching, and I think the development of our instructors in our industry is important — and it’s the most rewarding part of my job,” London added. “We need to embrace all of the new technology.”
Having spent 16 years as a training coordinator, London has the knowledge and confidence to assist newer coordinators navigating the job. He has been in their shoes. His father, now retired, worked as a journey worker and organizer at Local 124, so the culture of sheet metal work is something he absorbed from an early age.
London resides in Tuttle, Oklahoma, with his wife of 21 years, Julia, and their two children.
More than 14,000 apprentices are registered at 148 training facilities across the United States and Canada. The ITI is jointly sponsored by SMART, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation workers, and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA).
ITI supports apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), welding and industrial, architectural and ornamental, and service and testing, adjusting and balancing industry throughout the United States and Canada. The ITI develops and produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journey workers.
For more information about ITI and its available training curriculum for members covering sheet metal trade work, visit the website or call 703-739-7200.
Originally posted on Eye on Sheet Metal.