ARCHBALD \u2014 From carpentry to welding and line working, more than 100 high schoolers received insight on potential careers and apprenticeship opportunities that provide family-sustaining wages during an NEIU program Wednesday at Valley View High School.<\/p>\n
Local labor union representatives offered information on applying for apprenticeships and outlined the tasks and responsibilities associated with several trades as the students ponder life after graduation.<\/p>\n
Apprenticeships are paid, on-the-job training programs that combine hands-on work with classroom instruction to prepare individuals for skilled careers.<\/p>\n
Matt Lochie, a council representative for the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Local Union 445 in Scranton,noted that the process for becoming an apprentice carpenter starts with an information session before prospective employees are assigned a list of tasks and complete an in-person interview.<\/p>\n
The last step is a skills assessment, which includes a math test and physical activities where participants carry materials, including plywood and two-by-fours, up and down ladders, Lochie added.<\/p>\n
Those who complete all the requirements are placed on an eligible-to-hire list, he said. A high school diploma or GED credential is a prerequisite for applying for the apprenticeship.<\/p>\n
Lochie cautioned students that a construction career has challenges but assured them it also offers room for advancement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a tough business; you definitely beat yourself up doing this trade,\u201d he said. \u201cThe sky is the limit, but it\u2019s on you guys. You have to be there every day, and you have to be on time. This is a career, not just a job. When you become a journeyman carpenter, that\u2019s not where it stops; you can be a foreman, a superintendent or a project manager.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lochie noted first-year apprentices earn approximately $21 per hour and receive about a $3.50 raise each year as long as they meet the requirements.<\/p>\n
He added that construction work schedules have ebbs and flows, so potential hire dates can be unpredictable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are slow times and times you can\u2019t keep up with, so it could take a day or it could take a couple months to get you out to work,\u201d Lochie said.<\/p>\n
Lochie feels optimistic about recent interest from\u00a0young adults looking to join the construction trade.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur last information session, about 85 kids signed up,\u201d he said. \u201cWe ended up interviewing about 50, but other years we would get maybe 20 kids, and by the end we would have five, so it\u2019s pretty significant.\u201d<\/p>\n
He believes a bigger push by guidance counselors advising students to consider the trades as an alternative to college may be driving the increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nice that the schools are buying into this and giving the kids an opportunity,\u201d Lochie said. \u201cThey\u00a0can earn as they learn and start their career debt free.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patrick Weber, a senior at Mid Valley Secondary Center in Throop, who first developed an interest in construction in sixth grade, plans to enter the carpentry trade following graduation. He learned more about the occupation while receiving hands-on instruction at the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County, where he framed a wall, installed shingles and insulation, and completed exterior finish work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw people on a rooftop doing shingles, and since then I\u2019ve wanted to do it,\u201d Weber said.<\/p>\n
Jeff Schmude, marketing developer for the Wilkes-Barre-based Local Union No. 44 of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, allowed students to test out a virtual welding simulator, giving them a sneak peek at a potential career choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI bring it to show them what they\u2019re going to learn through their apprenticeship, if that\u2019s the path they choose,\u201d he said. \u201cI tell them that all the time that I\u2019m not discouraging them from college, I\u2019m just letting them know there is another option and they can have a good career in the trades.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schmude stressed that each applicant in the apprenticeship program must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED credential, and adhere to a code of excellence related to completing jobs and showing up to work in a timely manner.<\/p>\n
Once someone completes the training program and becomes a journeyperson, they can work anywhere in the county, he added.<\/p>\n
A first-year apprentice starts out making roughly $18 an hour, said Schmude. He added that journeymen earn roughly $37 an hour, and the rate goes up each May.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re taking apprentices in every year,\u201d Schmude said. \u201cThis past September we took in 13, and next September we\u2019re looking at just about the same, if not more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen Syrylo, a student at Lakeland High School, hasn\u2019t decided on his future plans, but felt the program shed some light on interesting opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of going to college, you can go into the workforce but still learn a lot \u2026. and you\u2019re getting paid a decent, livable wage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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Students gather around Matt Lochie, who represented the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters during the trades and apprenticeship program at Valley View High School on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n
![\"Valley](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/STT-L-APPRENTICESHIP-1123-01.jpg\")
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Valley View students listen to the Journeyman Bobby Scott\u2019s presentation about the lineman profession during the trades and apprenticeship program at Valley View High School on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n
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Students gather around Matt Lochie, who represented the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters during the trades and apprenticeship program at Valley View High School on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n