Planting Roots: SMART Local 49 Builds the West Texas Workforce

The 9,000-square-foot facility gives prospective apprentices a place to learn the craft and build careers closer to home. It also establishes a permanent training resource for contractors serving the region’s construction, industrial, fabrication, and HVAC needs.

A Permanent Home for Training 

For Local 49 Business Manager and Financial Secretary Isaiah Zemke, opening those doors marked the culmination of years of work.

“Standing there on opening day, I was overcome with emotion,” Zemke said. “We had spent years working toward this, and suddenly we were watching apprentices, contractors, and families walk through the doors. That was when the investment became real. We could see what this place would mean for the people of West Texas.”

More than 100 people attended the grand opening, including signatory contractors, apprentices, union leaders, industry representatives, and community partners. Speakers included Trent

London, field representative for the International Training Institute (ITI); Adam Smith, ITI welding specialist; and Leonard Aguilar, president of the Texas AFL-CIO.

A Lubbock Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting was followed by facility tours and live demonstrations showcasing the breadth of the trade.

Building Skills Contractors Need 

Training connects shop and field skills, from reading prints and developing patterns to precision cutting, ductwork fabrication, and custom stainless steel work. Instruction includes stick, MIG and TIG welding, plasma cutting, and HVAC service skills such as troubleshooting, startup, and maintenance.

Lead Instructor Adrian Aguayo brings more than two decades of experience and his own history as a Local 49 apprentice to that work. A second-generation sheet metal worker, he is helping prepare the next generation through the same apprenticeship system that developed his skills.

The program combines paid employment with classroom and hands-on instruction, allowing apprentices to apply what they learn while developing the technical knowledge and craftsmanship their employers need.

Shawn Smith, Local 49 business representative and president of the West Texas Building and Construction Trades Council, described the contractor relationship as central to the center’s purpose.

“We succeed when you succeed. You succeed when your workforce is trained, reliable, and professional,” Smith said. “This facility is our shared investment in that outcome.”

Publicity surrounding the opening included local television coverage and a front-page story in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. During the July 8–August 12 reporting period, the JATC website’s Steps to Apply page recorded 789 views.

Interest Beyond the Industry 

The response has extended beyond prospective apprentices and employers. Allen reported interest and visits from education representatives, community organizations, and workforce stakeholders, including the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Lubbock.

“We expected interest from contractors and people considering an apprenticeship,” Allen said. “What surprised us was how many organizations outside our industry wanted to tour the facility, discuss partnerships, and understand how the program could serve the community. It has shown us that this center can connect people who are working toward the same goal: more opportunities for West Texans to train, work, and build their lives here.”

Those connections create opportunities for schools and community organizations to introduce residents to sheet metal careers and help them understand how to enter the industry.

Investing in the Workforce Ahead 

Local 49 serves New Mexico and West Texas. As its Lubbock program develops, plans include expanding equipment, curriculum, instructor resources, and industry partnerships.

The goal reaches beyond filling immediate manpower needs. It is to prepare skilled sheet metal workers who can support contractors and major construction projects throughout West Texas for years to come.

For more information about the training center and apprenticeship program, visit smartlu49jatc.com.