Scott was first introduced to welding through Chicago Builds. However, the program was taught virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. He got hands-on welding experience through the Pipefitters Union’s 2021 summer internship, where he learned to cut different pipe sizes and how to do stick welding, a type of welding that uses electricity to melt metals and join them together.
The Pipefitters Union was so impressed with Scott’s skill and talent that he was asked to stay on and work for the remainder of summer 2021, and he even got a pay bump to $20. He was also the only student intern and worker at the Pipefitters Union’s Mokena, Ill., training facility.
“I learned a lot of skills. The biggest thing I would say that I learned though being in an internship, I learned about work ethic and responsibility. I had to show up every day on time, no excuses, and I had to do what was asked of me,” Scott said.
The Pipefitters Union invited him to apply for a post-graduation apprenticeship. When the TRiiBE spoke to him in late March, he was working on his application, which includes an aptitude test.
The apprenticeship lasts five years and provides on-the-job training for pipefitters, plumbers, sprinkler fitters, welders and HVAC technicians.
As of April 26, Scott still hasn’t made a decision on whether he’ll attend college or enter the workforce. He’s currently undecided for a college major. But with the Pipefitters Union’s apprenticeship, he’d make $21 an hour — or between $44,000 and $45,000 annually — before any overtime pay, according to Chicago Pipefitters Local 597’s Director of Admissions Adam Sutter. Upon completion of the program, apprentices become journeymen, Sutter said, and could make up to $52 an hour, or a yearly salary in the $100,000 range.
He’s taking his time because he wants to make an informed decision that will leave him fulfilled and not filled with regret.
“I want to be doing something, whether it’s school or a job, that makes me happy and satisfied. I want to feel satisfied with my decision. I don’t want to be like: I should have done this, or I shouldn’t have done this. I want to be happy with the decision I make,” Scott said.