Maine Unions Recruiting Youth for Careers in the Trades

As the end of the school year approaches, career and technical education programs around Maine are working to connect students with good opportunities in the trades. Region 10 Technical High School, which serves communities in the southern mid-coast of Maine, recently held a large career fair to introduce students to the wide range of opportunities available to them after graduation. Maine Building and Construction Trades Locals were well-represented among the many organizations that came out to recruit students and inform them about various pathways into good careers. Sam Boss, Apprenticeship and Workforce Director at the Maine AFL-CIO, shared a table with Grant Provost, Business Organizer for Ironworkers Local 7. United Brotherhood of Carpenters 349 Business Organizer Mike McGuigan and Justin Walsh, Apprenticeship Director of IBEW 567 also attended the event to recruit new trainees.

Registered apprenticeships with Maine Building and Construction Trades unions offer an excellent opportunity to earn good pay and exceptional benefits while developing hands-on skills alongside experienced journeyworkers. While awareness of the benefits of registered apprenticeships is growing among Maine high school students, they often need more information about the structure of specific apprenticeships, the steps they need to take to apply, and the advantages of pursuing apprenticeship through a union. The Union Construction Academy of Maine pre-apprenticeship program, which is currently accepting applications for the spring and summer of 2026, helps to guide students through the different pathways into apprenticeship, while also equipping them with certifications, hands-on training, and soft-skills that they will need to be competitive and successful once they enter into the field.

In addition to providing students from Region 10 with opportunities to learn about pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeships with Maine unions, the event also offered our union representatives an opportunity to connect with well-trained and highly qualified students, who came prepared with resumes and questions about the brass tacks of the different programs. Many of the students had already taken multiple classes in welding, electrical wiring, and carpentry, and it was exciting to see the large numbers of students who are interested in joining our trades workforce and filling the need for skilled tradespeople of all backgrounds. The event was a win-win for all involved. Our Maine Building and Construction Trades unions look forward to continuing to build strong relationships with high schools around the state as we work to connect students with the great opportunities that apprenticeship can provide.