From carpentry to sheet metal to electrical and more, the CITC in Pasco has about 175 apprentices that are going through their program right now.
PASCO, Wash. — For people looking to build a career, the Construction Industry Training Council (CITC) is a state-licensed, nationally accredited construction training program, raising the future of construction.
They held an open house at their Pasco facility at 5804 Road 90, Suite K Wednesday afternoon. They encouraged people to meet staff and instructors and tour their 10,000 sq. ft. facility. Instructors said it’s state of the art, and includes numerous classrooms.
“We’re training the workers of tomorrow, because some of us are getting ready to retire or leave the field,” said Rick St. Vincent, a facility manager and electrical instructor.
St. Vincent has been a CITC instructor for 16 years. He listed off just a few of the 11 trades they currently offer: carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, sheet metal, laborers and scaffold directors.
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The program currently has about 175 apprentices going through training. Electrical is the biggest program throughout the state, and the biggest trade for the Pasco facility, St. Vincent said. CITC holds seven different electrical classes held every month.
The program just did a college and career event, where they visited nine high schools in one week.
“We just wanted to get the word out to the kids and the counselors and the teachers that there are other alternatives besides college, and we need workers and there’s kids out there that didn’t know that they can make a good living and good money in construction and that it was a high demand job,” St. Vincent explained.
For anyone looking for a career, but doesn’t want to take the college path, St. Vincent encouraged looking into construction.
“Kids have an option,” St. Vincent said. “Being a construction worker is a vital essential part of our economy; there will always be a need for that.”
As local economic development grows, there is a need for people in the industry.
“Somebody has got to build the building, robots can’t do it all,” said St. Vincent.
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