Part-time training coordinators are fueled by their passion for education — that of apprentices and journeypersons — and for the future of the union. A part-time coordinator has a full-time job during the day, often coming into the training center on nights and weekends to make sure the building is open and operational for classes, possibly teach a class or two, and keep the JATC on the rails.
The ITI has seen the weariness in the eyes of these men and women, and understood how difficult it can be to move a program forward when you’re fully spent just trying to maintain the status quo.
Last summer, the ITI announced the Coordinator Subsidy Program, which reimburses 16 JATCs for 50% of the wages and benefits for a full-time training coordinator position, with a maximum of $75,000 per year, for JATCs that were solely run by a part-time coordinator on or before Dec. 1, 2023. The program was open for applications for one year — from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025 — and the subsidy will be in effect for a three-year period as long as the program requirements continue to be met.
During this time, the JATC and/or its local union are required to increase their funding level to be able to support the costs of this full-time coordinator position after the program concludes. That goal is supported by a funding plan outlining the steps to be taken over the three-year period to increase the funding level of the JATC, complete with timelines for each step.
Some JATCs have had a part-time coordinator for decades and some have even managed to function without one. They all have one thing in common: “We’re all trying not to drown,” said Mitchell Koch, training coordinator for Local 104 in Modesto, California, one of the JATCs currently utilizing the subsidy.
New full-time coordinators have the time to concentrate on the apprenticeship curriculum and instruction, equipment needs, details of accreditation, recruitment and retention of apprentices and the continuing education of journeypersons.
And that freedom is a breath of fresh air.
At Local 218S in Springfield, Illinois, three part-time training coordinators were trying to do the work of one full-time coordinator. The subsidy was the solution they needed.
“Instead of everyone being focused on their full-time thing when they come to their part-time thing, we wanted them to be able to focus on training all of the time,” said Kyle Gehrs, full-time coordinator under the subsidy program.
Matt Moore served as an instructor for 13 years at Local 5 in North Carolina before the subsidy allowed him to become the local’s first-ever training coordinator. Before this, they were in “survival mode” with many large projects. He said the new position allows him to focus on his apprentices, the equipment and everything else
Local 83 in Albany, New York, is a small local with approximately 300 members, and with work ramping up in the area, they, too, were feeling the pressure.
“The resources [provided by the subsidy] were the big thing,” added Stephen Savoca, part-time coordinator for 27 years turned full-time coordinator for Local 83. “Apprentices complained about not having the coordinator when they needed him, and we are their advocates.”
With the time to focus on accreditation, new full-time coordinators are expected to raise their accreditation level one level each year until the platinum level is reached and maintained, which differs from the five-year accreditation cycle for all other JATCs. Moving up quickly has benefits, including the ability to apply for ITI grants that can expand their training programs. Grants are available for plasma tables, the Autodesk Membership Training Provider (MTP) Program, laser welders, mini-crane rental, regional apprenticeship contest reimbursement, iPad reimbursement, TAB lab upgrades or construction, translation devices and more. The ITI also offers standard grants, which can be applied to everything from a JATC website, which earns additional accreditation points, to training and equipment used for training purposes.
When you’re a part-time coordinator, you don’t have the time to make sure everything is perfect for an accreditation, and without a higher level of accreditation, you can’t apply for the grants, said Eddie Jones, subsidized full-time coordinator at Local 4 in Memphis.
Before Koch’s arrival at Local 104, District 2, the JATC was at a bronze level. He has high hopes of reaching platinum level before the three years is up.
“The ITI [subsidy] grant gave the opportunity to all these locals we probably wouldn’t have had before,” Koch said. “It’s a great opportunity for growth to have access to resources and a dedicated training coordinator.”
Michael Harris, Funds executive director, was the ITI administrator when the subsidy program was approved by the ITI trustees in 2024. Every year during the annual Coordinators Conference, the ITI staff would listen to the stories of part-time coordinators. These stories were behind the push for the subsidy’s creation and approval, he said.
“We watched a lot of them struggle for many years, and when you want the best for your union, for your industry, it’s hard to see that happen no matter how hard they work or how hard you try,” he said. “This subsidy was a long time coming and well deserved. It’s great to see these JATCs that were in survival mode move into success, growth and possible expansion.”
