An Alternative to the Traditional College Path
Union apprenticeship programs, especially those in partnership with higher education, are now a powerful, modern alternative/compliment to traditional college educations.
Here, we profile three Philadelphia-based unions, IBEW98 (Electricians), UA420 (steamfitters) and IUPAT DC21 (Finishing Trades) which have partnered with New Jersey’s Rowan University to provide apprentices with the practical skills necessary to get their careers in construction management off to a flying start.
Summary
Since about 1960, college and apprenticeship have been seen as alternatives in the United States, with college the preferred route. Perceptions have begun to change recently, however. College has become prohibitively expensive for many. Joint labor-management construction apprentices, meanwhile, increasingly earn significant amounts of college credit by the time they complete their apprenticeships. They also earn a living wage. This case study illustrates the shifting status of and relationships between college and apprenticeship through the experience of three Philadelphia-based joint apprenticeship and training programs. These apprenticeship programs, affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW 98), the United Association (UA) of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 420, and International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 21, recently negotiated agreements with Rowan University, an engineering college in New Jersey. Rowan now grants graduating apprentices more credits than required for an associate’s degree. Rowan also offers journeypersons a chance to acquire a bachelor’s degree in construction management at low cost. As well as enhancing career mobility for journeypersons, the Rowan partnerships deepen the benefits of a unionized trades workforce for construction contractors and construction customers (aka “owners”). The partnerships enhance the skills of unionized trades. In addition, more union members will likely enter management and white-collar construction professions. Elevating the skills and status of unionized trades also provides a foundation for greater cooperation between management and labor and more effective use of new digital technologies. More construction projects will complete on time and on budget, while achieving high quality standards that translate into lower lifetime construction costs.