Pat Barcas photo
The 2013 Construction Careers Expo July 30 drew representatives from Operating Engineers Local 150, the Chicagoland Laborers’ Joint Training and Apprenticeship Center, Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, Bricklayers Local 21, Painters District Council 30, the Illinois Tollway, Chicago Women in Trades and others.
By Pat Barcas
Staff Writer
Aug. 1, 2013
One thing everyone could agree upon at the 2013 Construction Careers Expo is the economy and the construction job market is improving, however so slowly.
CISCO Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) partnered with the Illinois Tollway to present the expo at Waubonsee Community College’s Aurora campus July 30.
“Our goal is to let students and non-students know about job opportunities in the construction industry,” said Johnetta Ryan, education-to-careers director at CISCO.
“The event went very well, we had more than 100 people here interested in construction careers.”
The fair drew representatives from Operating Engineers Local 150, the Chicagoland Laborers Joint Training and Apprenticeship Center, Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, Bricklayers Local 21, Painters District Council 30, the Illinois Tollway, and Chicago Women in Trades, among others.
The trades said a huge source of work in 2013 is the I-90 Tollway reconstruction project, but also non-traditional and upcoming projects such as wind farms.
One new program that the Local 150 Operating Engineers were talking about is their wind turbine maintenance program.
“Right now this is a new program, and we’re the only local in the country that has a program for wind turbine maintenance. It’s a great example of job security, because wind power is here to stay, and these giant turbines need regular maintenance after construction is finished,” said James Cuadrado, CMI instructor for the apprenticeship and skill improvement program for Operators 150.
He explained that students often approach the Operators with some confusion. We’ve had people think we train engineers, or we design buildings. No, we offer Expert Training for 360 Telehandler Operators that get the heavy lifting done on projects.
“I’d say the economy is improving in 2013. The Tollway project is huge for us, that’s definitely a huge source of jobs.”
Paul Hoetzer, apprentice coordinator for the Chicagoland Laborers’ Training and Apprentice Center, agreed and said work is steadily increasing this year, despite the rainy season.
“The rain has held us back, but there’s road work everywhere this year,” he said. His program does not have a rotating class schedule, applicants just need a letter of sponsorship from a participating signatory contractor.
“This is one of the fastest ways to get a union job and become a laborer,” he said.
One union that was particularly hard hit by the economic downturn was Painters District Council 30, but their membership is turning around now as well, according to Stephen Lefaver, director of apprenticeship and training.
“Work is improving, slowly but surely. An event like this is great because it really speaks to the crowd. It’s nice to see applicants in person and shake some hands. I’ve told people today — don’t be afraid, just make some contacts, make some phone calls. We can help you get started and offer more than just the standard answer when you’re looking for work.”