SLATE Announces Sheet Metal Industry Training School Information Session

The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) will conduct a Construction Information Session for job seekers interested in sheet metal industry careers. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 8, at 10 a.m. at SLATE Missouri Career Center (MCC) Downtown, 1520 Market Street, 3rd Floor Conference Room, St. Louis, MO 63103. SLATE has partnered with Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (S.M.W.I.A.), Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (S.M.A.C.N.A.), and the Association for Construction Careers, Education and Support Services (ACCESS) to offer this informational event.

Sheet metal workers are essential to the construction of buildings’ environmental control systems. They also install specialty roofs, gutters and architectural sheet metal, making tremendous contributions to a structure’s architectural beauty. They perform all types of sheet metal fabrication and construction, including cutting, fabricating, installing and maintaining sheet metal products and systems, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) in residential, commercial and industrial applications.

Sheet metal workers start as pre-apprentices for six months, followed by 9,000 hours of on-the-job and classroom training. Apprentices attend classroom training 20 days each year for four years and five days in their fifth year. While attending school, apprentice wages are paid by the training program.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and take a general aptitude test in reading, math, spatial relationships and mechanical comprehension. Applicants who pass the test are scheduled for an interview and placed on an applicant waiting list.

Construction industry sector jobs are predicted to grow significantly between now and 2016. Metal roofing and sheet metal systems will be in demand by an increased number of St. Louis area construction projects involving multi-million and multi-billion dollar investments. Anticipated developments include Ballpark Village, Cortex, BJC Headquarters, Lord & Taylor, Wells Fargo, Mercedes, Northside Regeneration, Carondolet Coke, and The City Walk, among others.

The information session will also assist potential candidates with the application process, answer questions about eligibility, and provide career guidance and networking opportunities.

Attendees should bring their resume and dress appropriately. Those not registered with the Missouri Career Centers network will be asked to register onsite. For additional information, please contact Stacey Fowler at sfowler@stlworks.com.