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Construction apprentice careers in demand in Ohio

By Nadia Ramlagan Mahoning Matters
FILE Airman 1st Class Davin Simmons, 375th CES engineer apprentice, uses an auto level to find the elevation of new concrete pads.
FILE Airman 1st Class Davin Simmons, 375th CES engineer apprentice, uses an auto level to find the elevation of new concrete pads. Photo by Master Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher FILE

State data shows there are more than 21,000 active apprentices in Ohio - including carpenters, cement masons, construction laborers, and electricians, among more than one hundred occupations.

A new report finds apprenticeships deliver big benefits for communities and employers.

Research shows apprentices earn more than comparable workers, with an average starting salary of $50,000 per year and estimated earnings of $300,000 over the course of a lifetime.

Training director with Ohio Laborers Apprenticeship Matthew Flynn said a high need for construction labor persists in Ohio, especially in the state’s larger metropolitan areas.

He added that apprenticeship training provides a pipeline of skilled workers.

”Recruitments,” said Flynn, “are a little bit easier with these registered apprenticeship programs in place.”

According to a recent report, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act call for infrastructure improvements and repairs, abandoned mine land reclamation, repurposing shuttered coal plants, grid modernization and renewable energy growth - which will require boosting the nation’s skilled-trade workforce.

Flynn said apprenticeship also offers workers a chance to learn without paying tuition, gain college credits, and earn a paycheck while learning on the job.

He added that residents interested in apprenticeships training should visit the Apprentice Ohio website to learn more.

”Our state government is always willing to obviously help out,” said Flynn, “and point these folks in the direction they think they want to go in the pursuit of a career in the construction trades or any apprenticeable trade.”

Union apprenticeships in Ohio tend to train more minorities, women and veteran construction workers and have better completion rates and wages than non-union programs.

According to the report, the nation’s unionized construction workforce has aged steadily over the past three decades. As these workers retire, a new crop of younger workers is needed to meet demand.

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