Sheet Metal Workers Local 73 Taking Applications for Apprenticeships

BELLWOOD, IL -- Sheet Metal Workers Local 73 is accepting applications for its apprentice training program every Wednesday from from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 4. Applications can be downloaded from Local 73’s website and dropped off during the above times at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 73 Training Center at 2701 Van Buren St., Bellwood, IL.

Applicants must be at least 17 years or older. A non-refundable $20 registration fee is required upon applying. Other documentation needed when dropping off the application includes:

• Completed application form
• Photo ID, such as driver’s licence or state ID
• Photocopy of high school diploma or GED
• Photocopy of DD214 (Armed Forces Discharge) if applicable
• Official translation for any of the above-listed documents that are not in English

Applicants will be required to take an aptitude test when required by the training committee and will be ranked according to test scores. In addition, before being indentured, applicants must pass a drug test. The applicant is responsible for payment of the physical (around $50). The Local Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee will pay for the drug test.

Should the applicant move after submitting his or her application, the applicant is responsible for notifying the apprentice officer of the change of address. Failure to do so may result in not receiving important notices from the Joint Apprenticeship Committee and may prevent you from becoming an apprentice.

The term of the apprenticeship is four years, with the possibility of a 42-week probationary period. Apprentices will also be required to complete a 10-week pre-apprenticeship training program. The apprenticeship includes four years or six semesters of concentrated training, plus 20 days per semester in conjunction with on-the-job training. Apprentices must maintain a 75-percent grade point average while attending school.

Sheet metal workers are masters of their craft, performing some of the most varied work in the industry. They specialize in everything from fabrication and installation to maintenance, testing and balancing. The union also claims that once apprentices complete the Local Union 73 program, they’ll start earning a great salary and benefits with no student debt.

The average starting salary for a new union sheet metal worker is $45,000 annually, including benefits. Some of the projects Local 73 sheet metal workers worked on include Millennium Park and others throughout Cook and Lake Counties.