UCA Graduate Merlin Ponthy Awarded "Rookie of the Year" at Portland Public Works

Merlin Ponthy, one of our first graduates from the Union Construction Academy of Maine, recently received an award from the Portland Public Works Department as their “Rookie of the Year.” Merlin came to the United States as an asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he had worked for nearly a decade as an electrician. He immediately impressed everyone with his positive attitude and work ethic during the four-week pre-apprenticeship, while also demonstrating his aptitude and experience in construction.

After graduating from the Union Construction Academy, Merlin received an offer for a position at Portland Public Works (PPW). Merlin enjoys the variety of work he does for the City, which includes everything from installing cameras and painting street lines, to snow removal and maintenance projects.

He has also appreciated the opportunity to learn new skills while being paid for his work, having now earned his Class B Commercial Driver’s License through on-the-job training at PPW. In addition to bringing skills and experience to his role for the City of Portland, he has brought the fun-loving personality and exceptional style that endeared him to his classmates in our first session of the Union Construction Academy. On sunny days, he can often be seen out and about with his PPW team sporting a straw hat and sunglasses.

As we look ahead to our third year of the Union Construction Academy pre-apprenticeships, we are looking forward to building more robust relationships with Public Works Unions around the state, in order to enhance pathways into rewarding careers for more program graduates like Merlin. Pre-apprenticeship can be a great asset to municipalities and Public Works Unions around Maine that are struggling with staffing shortages, and we invite you to reach out to Maine AFL-CIO Apprenticeship and Workforce Equity Director Sam Boss at sam@maineaflcio.orgif you are interested in partnering with us and working with program graduates.