Working for Local 19, the possibilities are endless for what I could learn… I would never even have dreamed of learning what I know now.
– Timothy Nowak, Local 19 apprentice
Mission Statement
The Sheet Metal Workers’ Training Center of Local Union 19 Central Pennsylvania brings people together from nineteen (19) counties within Central Pennsylvania, with the common goal of becoming the best sheet metal trades people in the area!
We are committed to provide the best training possible to our union brothers and sisters to enable them to provide our signatory contractors with the most highly skilled trades people in the sheet metal industry.
It is our duty and obligation to pass on the knowledge and skills of the trade to ensure enduring growth and prosperity for future generations of brothers and sisters of Local 19.
Messages from Co-chairmen
To meet the needs of our industry, we have developed one of the most thorough and comprehensive training programs in the entire nation.
Our Training Center utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to meet the changes in our industry, yet never forgetting that quality must prevail.
Our program develops skilled sheet metal apprentices and journeypersons who are competent in all aspects of our trade and are able to work safely without close supervision.
Training highly skilled sheet metal workers is part of our heritage, something that was started in the early years of this century when we first included apprentices in our membership. We formalized that responsibility in 1937, when our first off-site training program began and set the standards for instruction and achievement.
Today, the program is governed by the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, a group of union and employer professionals who realize the need to create a steady source of skilled sheet metal workers. The cooperation between the group stresses that training will provide the skills the marketplace requires. It also indicates that hard work will be rewarded with good employment.
We also participate in the International Training Institute. This is a national organization that includes every Sheet Metal Fund in the country. They provide us with a wealth of training information and materials that comply with the highest standards of the industry.
Please let us know if more information is required about Local 19 or our programs. We welcome visitors to our Training Center and are always willing to sit and talk with prospective members and contractors.
Sincerely,
Bryan Bush
President / Business Manager Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 19
What is offered
Central Pennsylvania Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center
- The Central PA training center was built in 2018 and is a state-of-the-art education facility. The training center it built around the concept of its students being tactile kinesthetic learners (hands-on) and every function in the facility creates a learning opportunity. The center includes a service lab; a Testing, Adjusting, and balancing lab; an American Welding Society accredited welding lab; a CAD lab; and all the necessary sheet metal equipment for apprentices to become the very best sheet metal worker possible.
- When working in our union shops, apprenticeship training offers an “earn while you learn” system that allows participants the chance to learn from — and work with — trained journeymen while also making excellent pay.
- According to the U.S. Labor Department, apprenticeships are on the rise, increasing from 375,000 in 2013 to over 400,000 today. The average salary after completing an apprenticeship program ranges from $51,000 to $72,000, and 92% of apprentices find and retain their employment after completing an apprenticeship program.
Quick Facts
Typical Entry-Level Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job Training
Apprenticeship
Number of Jobs, 2019
137,700
Contact Our Training Center
Patrick J. Edmonds
Training Coordinator/Instructor
Phone: (610) 562-5306
Lisa Reuber
Office Manager
Phone: (610) 562-5306
List of Trustees
Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee
Local No. 19 / Sheet Metal Contractors Association (SMCA)
Local 19
Bryan Bush
Co-Chair
Gerard Gontz
William Dorward
Michael Guigley
SMCA
Lori Eshenaur
Co-Chair
SMACNA Chapter Executive
Nate Kaetzel
Brad Vinglish
Andy Kreiger
Nondiscriminatory Policy
The Sheet Metal Workers’ Joint Apprenticeship Committee of Central Pennsylvania will not discriminate against apprenticeship applicants or apprentices based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, or because they are an individual with a disability or a person 40 years old or older.