On the second day of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast’s coverage of National Apprenticeship Week, we were joined by John Stahl, the Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund Administrator (IIIATF). He discussed a partnership with the American School Counselor Association to develop a pipeline between public schools and the trades and the Insulators Union’s Master Apprentice Competition (MAC).
Stahl shared his path to joining the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Union Local 14 apprenticeship program in 1994. He talked about going from apprentice to journeyman, then becoming an instructor at the training center and eventually becoming the Local 14 Training Coordinator in 2006. Stahl was selected as the IIIATF Administrator in 2019.
Since taking over as the IIIATF administrator, Stahl has focused on building a pipeline for students to become Insulator apprentices. He explained a new educational program will be tested in New York State public schools that include a children's book, a fifth-through eighth-grade science book and marketing and educational materials for high school students all related to the mechanical insulation industry. Stahl also talked about the partnership between the IIIATF and the American School Counselor Association that has allowed this program to develop. He explained that the goal is to make a career in the trades a viable alternative to college for students and not just a fall-back option.
Finally, Stahl talked about the annual Master Apprentice Competition (MAC), which occurs over five days. He explained how any Insulator apprentice can participate in the competition and what is in store for them during the event. Stahl said the final 10 apprentices who participate are the future of the Insulators Union. It’s an exciting opportunity for the apprentices, and by the end of the five days, many of the competitors will have developed a bond that will last a lifetime, Stahl said.
To learn more about the IIIATF and how to become an apprentice, listen to the show above and then visit their website, InsulatorsJATC.org.