International Training Institute (ITI)

ITI names two new field representatives, military program specialist

The International Training Institute (ITI) has welcomed Darek Scarlavai, who has more than 10 years of experience teaching registered apprentices and journeypersons in Michigan, and Pittsburgh veteran Joshua Moore as field staff…

Eight men standing in a line. Most of them are dressed in uniform.

SMART Heroes marks milestone recruiting veterans to apprenticeship

The first class of SMART Heroes, seen above, graduated October 2017. Members of the military preparing to leave the service often have difficulties transitioning to civilian jobs — they suffer…

Sheet Metal Workers Local 80 soldering class aerial photo of members in the workshop

Detroit sheet metal workers gather to learn, certify soldering skills

The International Training Institute (ITI), the education arm of the unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry, and the Copper Development Association (CDA) recently facilitated a soldering certification class for members of Sheet Metal…

McGuire takes new role as ITI program administrator

Ron McGuire said he knows he has some really big shoes to fill in his new position as program administrator for the International Training Institute (ITI), the education arm of the unionized…

Aldo Zambetti steps into new role as SMOHIT administrator

It was only last year Aldo Zambetti joined the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) as its program director, and as of Jan. 1, he moved into the role of administrator.…

International Training Institute welcomes two to field staff

Joe Potesta, of Indianapolis, and Craig Reehten, of St. Louis, were selected earlier this year for two positions on the field staff of the International Training Institute (ITI), the education arm of…

Harris assumes helm at International Training Institute

Michael Harris, a longtime staffer at the International Training Institute (ITI), has taken the reins as its administrator. A second-generation sheet metal worker, Harris got his first taste of the industry at…

Local 71 expands training center, state-of-the-art equipment

This summer, months after the planned ribbon cutting was derailed by COVID-19, Local 71 of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) workers in Buffalo, New York, formally…

Veterans in first SMART Heroes class graduate apprenticeship

Two members of the first class of SMART Heroes, the unionized sheet metal industry’s bridge from military life to a civilian career in sheet metal, welding and heating, ventilation and air…

SMOHIT welcomes new program director

This summer, the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust Inc. (SMOHIT) welcomed Aldo Zambetti as program director. Zambetti started in sheet metal in 1980 and spent 20 years at the…

Oklahoma instructor promoted to national role in sheet metal union

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,…

Heavy Metal Summer Experience introduces youth to sheet metal

California, Washington union training centers welcome students on interactive tours Each high school student touring the Western Washington Sheet Metal training center on July 13 left with a miniature Jeep…

Dale Clark joins ITI as OSHA specialist

Second-generation union sheet metal worker Dale Clark began work on Jan. 1 as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) specialist, a new position created to oversee health and safety classes…

Apprentice owes life to CPR, instructors at Local 20

When first-year apprentice John Walker returned to Sheet Metal Workers Local 20’s Indianapolis training center after lunch in January, he didn’t feel well — his legs were shaking, he was lethargic…

Minnesota sheet metal workers create opportunities with new learning lab

The pandemic didn’t slow down progress at Sheet Metal Workers Local 10 in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Beginning in March 2020, construction began on the training center’s new 3,700-square-foot commercial…

Tale of two cities: reopening sheet metal training centers in 2020

There are more than 140 union sheet metal training centers in the United States and Canada, and they vary in size — from city to rural, a few dozen apprentices…

Local 7 apprentices, leadership help Michigan residents after May flood

While cooped-up residents were getting ready for the first signs of summer, residents of Sanford, Michigan, were picking up the pieces and sweeping away mud and water to see what…

MGM fire 40th anniversary: The state of fire life safety

Smoke billowed into the blue sky above a 1980-version of the Las Vegas skyline on a crisp Nov. 21 morning. The cloud was coming from the MGM, which is now…

Dan McCallum named executive director of the Funds

The sponsor organizations of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) have selected Dan McCallum…

McGuire named director of research, development and technology for ITI

Minnesota native Ronald McGuire has been named director of research, development and technology for the International Training Institute (ITI). McGuire, a member of Sheet Metal Workers Local 10 for 29 years, has been…

ITI program helps apprentices access online content throughout pandemic

When the pandemic hit, training centers had to find ways to continue education online for apprentices. While first-year apprentices are assigned an iPad at the beginning of the school year…

ITI, Interplay Learning team up to bring hands-on, VR service training to SMART members

The ITI has partnered with Interplay Learning to bring hands-on training to members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) and apprentices across the country through a…

When COVID-19 hit, training at Local 105 got creative

Across the country, schools of all types are trying to figure out how to operate while keeping employees and students safe from COVID-19. Training centers — each with their own…

Award recipients recognized at home for safety culture at work

SMOHIT Safety Champions Conference, awards rescheduled for 2021 FAIRFAX, Va. – Although the 2020 Safety Champions Conference and Safety Matters Awards was rescheduled this year due to the pandemic, the Sheet…

SMART MAP peer training brings suicide, substance abuse prevention to members

The SMART Members Assistance Program (MAP) and the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) have been offering trainings to union leadership on the local level for the last three years in a concerted…

Trades Women Build Nations brings union sisters together

More than 2,700 union women — more than 200 sheet metal sisters — and their allies gathered Oct. 4-6 in downtown Minneapolis for Trades Women Build Nations, a meeting of the…

Biannual conference is a true sign of Partners in Progress

The sheet metal Funds were well represented at the Partners in Progress Conference held Feb. 25-26 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The biannual labor-management event brings together SMART (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and…

Fifth annual Safety Champions Conference set for March

The Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) plans to host the 2020 Safety Champions Conference March 22-24 at the Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio, 420 W. Market St. The conference continues SMOHIT’s…

Indiana apprenticeship focuses on service

Sheet Metal Workers Local 20 training centers in Gary and Evansville, Indiana, are meeting industry demand for more service specialists with new five-year service-specific apprenticeship programs. Sean Webb, who instructs general…

SMART Heroes second location celebrates first graduating class

SMART Heroes Local 9 in Colorado Springs celebrated its first graduating class Oct. 7. Three participants completed a seven-week course to earn the equivalent of their first-year sheet metal apprentice…