Travis Laird

You know, it's a lot of the same.

We're still busting at the seams.

Since then, we have bought another facility.

So we have another 60,000 square feet under roof for a second training center here in the valley.

Yet to be built out yet, though.

You know, we were at, I mean, 100% of our apprentices were working last time we were here.

We're about 10% out of work right now, which isn't too crazy for this time of year and, you know, coming down off such a large ramp like that.

But things are starting to pick up again.

Yeah, you know, it actually already kind of came down, but we're actually – it's starting to pick up a little bit.

A lot of our members have been out for other jobs.

We've got a lot of data center work, some high-rises, hospitals.

You know what we do?

We still have a lot of people.

That's something I'm doing every day is fielding phone calls and emails from people looking to get into the trade.

You know, lucky for us, that is one of our strengths as a union organization, is that when we had that monster ramp, we're able to man that work with a lot of people from around the country.

So we don't, as much as work has come down since then, you know, our unemployment is much lower than it would be had we not manned that work with people from around the country.

Yeah.

I mean, it's, you know, getting through the apprenticeship, the benefits are amazing, but it's not easy.

It's a five-year apprenticeship.

You're working a full-time job and then you're coming to class in the evenings.