The International Training Institute (ITI) for the sheet metal and air-conditioning industries has been awarded nearly $5 million in Energy Training Partnership grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The grants will be used to train approximately 1,200 unemployed or under-employed sheet metal workers for energy efficient building construction, retrofitting, and manufacturing jobs.

“ITI is plowing new ground with this grant and the advanced training it will provide,” says James Shoulders, executive administrator for ITI. “This is a great opportunity for our industry to lead the wave of energy efficiency within building construction and retrofit.”

The training program is available to all sheet metal workers, specifically in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Training will be administered in a series of customized training courses that address the skills gap of the targeted workforce. It will feature three areas of instruction: advanced building information modeling (BIM); HVAC testing, adjusting, and balancing; and phenolic installation.

Partners include Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA) and local affiliate organizations, SMACNA and local affiliate organizations, Joint Apprenticeship Training Center (JATC), and 13 Workforce Investment Boards and One Stop Career Centers.