What I Do
Deborah Cannada, Librarian - West Side Elementary School, Charleston, WV.
Deborah Cannada, Librarian - West Side Elementary School, Charleston, WV.
Training programs and apprenticeships are at the heart of unions’ efforts to ensure that working men and women have a voice in our country's ever-changing economy. Every year, the labor movement trains more than 450,000 workers. Through union apprenticeship programs, individuals gain life-changing skills to do high-quality work and get solid, middle-class jobs—often in new industries with cutting-edge green technology. We also harness public workforce resources to help working people gain access to training opportunities and overcome the challenges of losing a job. And along with employers who are willing to work together to share the benefits as well as the costs, we spearhead partnerships that lead to improved job satisfaction for workers, high productivity for employers and a top-notch, skilled workforce that ensures the quality and innovation essential for competing in a global economy.
IBEW Local 24 member Cory McCray says his union apprenticeship helped him enter adulthood with a firm footing in the middle class.
