A partnership between Milwaukee Tool and the Local 66 JATC keeps apprentices at the top of their game and provides essential product development feedback.
By / Jessica Kirby • Photos courtesy of Local 66 JATC
When Justin Bourgault, Training Coordinator and the Western Washington Local 66 JATC, first became an instructor there more than five years ago, he reached out to a number of tool manufacturers for help with outfitting the apprenticeship program with a tool supply.
The only company who returned his call was Milwaukee Tool. “They called me back and set up a meeting within a week,” Bourgault says.
During that meeting, Bourgault and the Milwaukee Tool rep were discussing cabinet requirements for a tool set, and the rep suggested turning the cabinet fabrication into a competition. Bourgault got to work with the design phase of the cabinet.
“I have been in the sheet metal trade for 30 years and much of that time was spent doing specialty fabrication and high end residential custom work,” Bourgault says. “So, I had a real good idea where I needed to start.”
After working out most of the details, Bourgault put together the material list and started fabrication on cabinets for the DuPont and Everett training centers. He had several apprentices donate time on the project and help with the fabrication.
“The door of the cabinet slides straight up and rests above when it is open,” Bourgault says. “This requires some serious counterweight and a complex pully system because the door weighs 120 lbs. Jeff Reinhardt, executive administrator at the JATC, and I teamed up and dialed in the rest of the details for the door system. Jeff also installed the keypad and electronic lock system for security.”
Once the cabinet was hanging from the wall, Reinhardt installed the lighting and the pair hung up the tools. “As you can see in the picture, it turned out okay,” Bourgault says. “We received more tools and a sweet radio that is currently playing in my office.”
This was only the beginning of an enduring, mutually beneficial relationship between Milwaukee Tool and the JATC that was made possible by the launch of Milwaukee Tool’s Jobsite Solutions team.
Chris Howard is one of many reps across America who are part of that team, and he says one of the program’s main goals is help support local mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) training centers like the Western Washington JATC. Support comes in many forms, including tool endowments (donations), trainings, competition sponsorships, and graduation gifts.
“Justin knew the importance of having a good quality set of tools on hand to get the job done right,” Howard says. “He gave Milwaukee the opportunity to come in and help support with these tools. That way, when the apprentices go out into the field, they know exactly how to perform the job and what tools to have on hand for it.”
Having this seamless gap between the classroom and the field is imperative to the technician’s success and to the company’s growth.
“This has been far beyond positive for both parties,” Howard says. “Within the JATC, it helps alleviate the cost of tools needed for training; it allows the students to be trained correctly on each tool; and gives the students the opportunity to use the same tools that many of the contractors buy on a daily basis for their workers. Since its doors first opened in 1924, Milwaukee Tool’s passion and bloodline have always been the MEP trades.”
For Milwaukee Tool, the partnership has opened doors the company never expected. At first, it gave Milwaukee Tool an avenue to give back directly to its main consumers. Secondly, it has given the company important feedback and the ability to reinvent how tools are made from the ground up.
“We now have a direct relationship with the people using our tools daily,” Howard says. “We get to see what is going well, where users have trouble, and where we can continue to push the envelope of technology within tools.”
One great example that Local 66 helped with was the launch of Milwaukee Tool’s M12 Rivet Gun. Prior to launching this battery powered tool, the most common way to punch a rivet was with a manual hand tool. After years of performing this application, users were seeing major injuries, such as carpel tunnel syndrome, in the field.
“With help from the instructors and students, we were able to launch a battery powered solution that took the fatigue off of the user and completely eliminated the injuries caused from a manual rivet tool,” Howard says. “Without the relationship with the JATC, we would’ve never seen this issue, and now we are able to help people across the country with this solution.”
Milwaukee Tool is always looking for ways to expand and grow the relationship, and in 2019 the company partnered with the JATC and the ITI to add another layer of curriculum into the training center.
“To kick this off, ITI and several JATCs held a week-long training for the apprentices at training centers across the Northwest,” Howard says. “To help support this training, Milwaukee donated the tool lists needed for the mobile trailer that goes around to each JATC making sure tools are always available for the hands-on work.”
Bourgault is grateful for the partnership and Milwaukee Tool’s on-going contributions to the JATC, including the continued supply of tools, batteries, drill bits, saw blades, and other equipment. Milwaukee Tool also sends presenters and trainers who help with the JATC’s OSHA training program and tool safety.
“Milwaukee Tool works with local distributors to give our union members discounts on hand tools,” Bourgault says. “The partnership is good for the apprentices because they are able to train with the latest tools and equipment, and it works well for Milwaukee Tool because the apprentices normally prefer using the tools so they ask for them at work and will probably buy them for home use.
“Milwaukee has been a great partner and sponsor of the apprenticeship program, and I am personally grateful that we have such a good relationship with them,” Bourgault says.
In 2020, the DuPont JATC is expanding its tool wall into the student cafeteria, and Milwaukee Tool will be partnering with that, as well. This will be a Tool of the Month wall to highlight new tool launches specifically for the sheet metal trade.
“Education and awareness are critical pieces to the training center, and the Local 66 staff does a great job of always thinking of ways to continue to help the apprentices learn about the trade and stay up to date on current technology,” Howard says.
Milwaukee has partnerships with numerous training centers across the country and will continue to support the core MEP trades in any way possible.
“What’s great is not a single partnership is the same, and that keeps it fun for the Milwaukee team,” Howard says. “Wherever and however we can support, we will. These partnerships are not about the cookie cutter model, but instead how Milwaukee Tool can mold to the specific training center and become woven into their daily routines.” ▪
