BAC Craftworkers Build Skills, Confidence, and Camaraderie at the International Training Center

BAC members are seizing the opportunity to grow their skills and careers at the John J. Flynn BAC/IMI International Training Center (ITC), with classes ranging from jobsite technology to advanced craft certifications and beyond. Here’s a look at the courses BAC members are taking this year to continue their education – and why they find the experience rewarding:

Training to Be the Best Hands in the Business

“No matter your age or experience level, this is a place where you can push yourself to be better – and there’s nowhere that compares when it comes to career growth and continuous learning,” said Kristopher Schortman, a Local 1 MN/ND/SD member who trained in refractory this March at the ITC. “The opportunities are endless, and those that train here consistently rise to being the best hands in the business. It sets you apart when work slows down and is a great way to secure your future.” 

Getting Certified for More Work Opportunities

“Certifications add value to us individually, but they also add value for our company to be able to bid those projects where it’s specified. If the company’s awarded that job, that’s work for us,” said Bob Richmond, from Local 2 MI. Richmond is a field superintendent who took the new concrete repair training in February with his crew at Pullman, a dual certificate program between IMI and the International Concrete Repair Institute. 

Upskilling in the Winter Season

Another crew joined the concrete repair and JAHN stone patching classes, this one from Advanced Building Restorations. “I come here to sharpen up my skills. This place is a huge resource for me as a business owner,” said Charlie Leaisure, owner of Advanced Building Restorations and Local 23 OH/WV/KY/MD member. “I tell my crew that we learn the trade on the job in the summer and from IMI in the winter. This training center is a golden nugget.”

A ‘Next-Level’ Experience at the International Training Center

“This class represents next-level training and professionalism,” said Sheldon Zagoruy, member of Local 1 SK, while taking the stone patching at the ITC this March. He came to build on what he learned during IMI’s Historic Masonry Preservation Certificate Program. “The instructors are excellent, and the food is amazing,” said Zagoruy of his experiences. “If you’re on the fence about taking a class here, just do it!” 

Building Confidence and Camaraderie 

“Coming to the International Training Center in Bowie has been a career-defining experience for me,” said Iquanda Porter, a Local 1 CT member. Porter worked towards her welding certification in March, following a visit last year where she learned stone patching techniques that she put to work on the job almost immediately. “Thanks to the training, I felt incredibly confident in my work and even had the opportunity to help others with their technique.” 

“Now, I’m excited to see where my newfound welding skills take me. It’s another valuable tool in my toolbox to keep me working,” Porter continued. “Beyond the technical skills, I’m leaving with something just as important: lifelong friendships with my classmates and mentors in the staff at the ITC.”