Education + Career Training
Build a career with hands-on training and apprenticeship programs in the sheet metal and HVAC trades.
Work SMART. Build a lasting career.
Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committees
Strong skills, real opportunities.
The SMART Local 18 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committees (JATCs) are where your career in the trades begins—and grows. Our programs combine hands-on, on-the-job training with classroom instruction to give members the skills, knowledge and certifications they need to succeed.
Whether you’re an apprentice starting out or a journeyworker looking to upgrade your skills, the JATCs teach the latest trade techniques, safety standards and building codes. You’re not just learning a trade—you’re joining a community of workers who work SMART, stand together and build careers that last.
Education, Career Training & Apprenticeships
Earn While You Learn
SMART18 sponsors apprenticeship programs that combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction to prepare members for successful careers in the sheet metal and HVAC trades. Apprentices gain hands-on experience while completing technical education through our Local JATC’s, the SMART International Training Institute and partnering technical colleges.
How much can an apprenticeship earn you?
$40,000 Per Year
Starting out as a first year apprentice
$100,000+ Per Year
As a journeyworker with full benefits
Stronger skills. Stronger union.
Sheet Metal Training
The courses provided by training facilities affiliated with the International Training Institute (ITI) deliver high-quality education designed to prepare you for a fulfilling, lifelong career in the sheet metal industry.
Through the Institute, SMART and our management partners collaborate to ensure members are prepared for the jobs of the future and that our industry maintains a highly skilled workforce ready to meet new challenges.
To strengthen the skills of apprentices and journeymen, SMART local Unions have established 148 Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees (JATCs) across the U.S. and Canada. Each apprenticeship program combines classroom instruction with hands-on, on-the-job training, maximizing effectiveness and ensuring our members are job-ready from day one.
In the years ahead, apprentices and new members will help define what it means to be a Union sheet metal worker. The future strength of our Union depends on the investment we make in apprenticeship programs today. Working alongside our industry partners, we continuously develop training that equips sheet metal members to adapt and thrive as technology transforms the workplace—on construction sites and beyond.