Apprentice Program
Midwest Operating Engineers

Midwest Operating Engineers Local 150’s Apprenticeship and Skill Improvement Program in Wilmington is impressive by any measure.

Situated on 300-plus acres, the 342,000-square-foot William E. Dugan Training Center features an indoor training area, more than 200 pieces of heavy equipment, 30 classrooms, construction material testing lab, state-of-the-art welding facility, equipment simulator lab and a 200-seat auditorium.

Largest construction local in the country

MOE is the largest construction local in the country. Its cutting-edge skill-training program is capable of training both apprentices and journey workers. Open year-round, the site has instructors available six days a week. The local has 40 full-time instructors and, last year, 16 seasonal instructors.

There are four apprenticeship programs: Local 150 Heavy Equipment Operators, Heavy Equipment Technician, Geothermal Well Drill Operator, and Construction Building Inspector. All are four-plus-year programs; only the heavy-equipment technician program is five-plus years.

Valuable veteran oversight for new members

Overseeing all of this is Apprenticeship Coordinator, George Antos. George is a 35-year Local 150 veteran member who began in 1989. He worked for several different contractors on the “dirt side’ and was a heavy-equipment operator and a certified crane operator.

Ensuring futures throughout their journeys

According to George, the trades are a great way to make a living. And the best part of being a member of Local 150: Members choose their trade and everything is free. Other than a $25 application fee, there are no other expenses for an apprentice. In addition to unbelievable benefits, members can take as much training as they wish. The more equipment a member gets trained and certified on, the more employable they become.

For George, he has the best job in the world being able to train new people so that they can support their families. Each of the four programs has its own unique track with mandatory on-the-job training and class work. As each apprentice fulfills the requirements, they move to the next level with a yearly bump in pay.

Demand is strong

Last fall the program had up to 5,000 applicants. There is no entrance exam. The initial evaluation consists of some classroom and hands-on exercises as well as an oral interview. Members are accepted into the program as demand dictates.

Applications are accepted year-round for heavy-equipment technicians, geothermal well drill operators, and construction building inspectors. Heavy-equipment operator applications are accepted in October.

There are currently more than 1,000 apprentices in the program. As the average age of operators increases, there is a big demand to recruit the next generation at high schools, colleges and job fairs. Social media is an excellent method to get the word out, he says.

Based on the programs in place, Local 150 is going to have the best-trained members and they’ll be ready for any challenge.