Eighteenth class prepared seven US Army members for apprenticeship
By / Jessica Kirby Photos courtesy of Western Washington Training Center
Seven members of the United States military graduated as the 18th class of the SMART Heroes program this August at the Western Washington Sheet Metal training center in DuPont, Washington.
The graduates represent the ranks of the Army and include Sfc. Darrell Cortez, Spc. Anthony Gomes, Spc. Samuel Hammon, Spc. Jason Jones, Spc. Erik Palin, Spc. Paul Pazar, and Sgt. John Talbert.
Spc. Samuel Hammon says the number one reason he was attracted to the sheet metal industry was what the program offered.
“I actually wasn’t interested in the sheet metal industry itself,” he says. “I wanted to learn more about the trades, and I figured this would be a good addition to my resume. I quickly realized that there is much much more to the sheet metal industry than I or any of my friends knew about.”
Hammon loves a good challenge, and learning real world math, metal work, and the logistics and challenges of the job on a physical level was extremely rewarding.
“I enjoyed the challenges of drafting and then making paper drawings come to life in the shop, all the while trying to do it faster and better than my coworkers,” he says. “The program was much more complex than I expected, and we are just scratching the surface.”
Moving forward, he intends to explore all the skills that will make him more of an asset to the companies he will work for, starting with trucking and welding certificates. “I want to be the guy they can call on to get the job done professionally,” he says. “I didn’t realize the multitude of benefits this program offers, particularly to transitioning soldiers. I feel indebted to the union, owners, and the army for making it all possible.”
In order to graduate, participants completed a seven-week course to earn the equivalent of their first-year sheet metal apprentice training (224 hours). Upon discharge from service, these graduates may choose to enter any of the 148 SMART apprenticeship programs in the United States and be provided direct entry and advanced placement as a second-year sheet metal apprentice, including a high probability of obtaining second-year apprentice wages and benefits.
Steve Swanson graduated from the previous SMART Heroes class and has been in the workforce for six months. In the Army he was an x-ray technician, a job he describes as “unappealing” because he “pushed buttons and wore pyjamas all day”.
“One day, I realized I had zero skills regarding construction,” Swanson says. “I couldn’t read a tape measure, use a drill, or anything like that. My father was a boilermaker and always knew how to construct, fix, weld, and maintain anything. I realized how useless I felt, and I saw SMART Heroes as an awesome way to learn real skills, work with my hands, and become as skilled as my father.”
At school, the instructors were patient and willing to help, especially for those with no experience. “The knowledge they pulled from the top of their heads during the lessons was impressive,” Swanson says. “It gave us a brief but good intro to what we were getting into, especially since most of us were leaving the service within months.”
Although he admits it has been a steep learning curve, he has enjoyed every second. He went from working in a concrete and lead basement to seeing the entire Puget Sound from the top of the airport for the past six months, all the while getting paid.
More than anything, Swanson looks forward to being able to provide for his growing family with a high standard of living. “This early in my life that is a great feeling,” he says. “The pay and benefits are far beyond what I ever saw myself being able to earn. I intend to remain in Local 66 and work in Western Washington for the foreseeable future.”
Darrell Cortez, also a previous graduate from SMART Heroes, says his journey was similar in that the SMART Heroes program was not initially his first choice. He was originally looking at a welding program, but that program would have required he relocate our of the area. “My children are in the Lacey area, and that is the primary reason for me to be here,” he says. “I started looking at other options, and Gary Olson, the career skills program manager I was working with, offered up SMART Heroes as a good option.”
Cortez did his research and decided to pursue the program. He liked that the sheet metal industry offered several areas of expertise, but his initial draw was welding. “After taking the program, I actually think that welding is not my primary desire, but simply the ability to work with my hands to create things,” he says.
He delved in and found many aspect of the program he enjoyed, such as math, layout, and fabrication.
“I have always been a bit of a math junkie, and so the amount of math that we needed to do was a lot of fun for me,” he says. “Seeing all of the math and layout come together was a lot of fun for me.”
If he could change anything he would have made the program two or three weeks longer and received more experience in each discipline. “A one day exposure is really not quite enough to make an informed decision,” he says. “It would be a little easier to have one-day of classroom explanation, and the second day of practical experience.”
Cortez hasn’t yet started his apprenticeship, and for the immediate future intends to only explore the building trades aspect.
“I am looking forward to spending some time in learning mode before I look at any kind of opportunity to do more,” he says. “I have spent the majority of the last 20 years in some type of leadership position, and I am truly looking forward to being a follower and learner for a little while.”
His goals include gaining more education opportunities and further developing his marketable skillset. “I would like to get to a point where I have some knowledge in a lot of different areas, and can show the potential to delve into any area and excel,” he says.
Launched in August 2017, the SMART Heroes program was established together with SMACNA in collaboration with SMART Local 66, SMACNA Western Washington, Western Washington Sheet Metal training center, and Helmets to Hardhats.
SMART Heroes provides free sheet metal industry training to enlisted US military men and women who plan to enter the civilian life within the year, thereby assisting in a successful transition into the civilian workforce.
For additional information on SMART Heroes, visit smart-heroes.org or call the International Training Institute at 703-739-7200. ▪
