PR2016 Dec 7 UA

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 7, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Media and Communication, 205.391.2959

mediacom@sheltonstate.edu

UNITED ASSOCIATION AND SHELTON STATE TO CELEBRATE ARTICULATION AGREEMENT

Tuscaloosa, Alabama – The United Association (UA) and Shelton State Community College (SSCC) will celebrate their partnership at an articulation ceremony on Thursday, December 15 at 1:00 p.m. in the Alabama Power Recital Hall on the Martin Campus.

In a collaborative relationship spanning almost fifteen years, the UA- Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 372 Union in Tuscaloosa and Shelton State Community College Welding Technology have worked together to effectively serve local industry and individuals pursuing a career in welding and pipefitting. Following this success, UA and Shelton State have entered into an official articulation agreement which provides Shelton State welding graduates with the opportunity to enter the apprenticeship with advanced pay and training credentials. The upcoming articulation ceremony serves to officially recognize this agreement and further strengthen the cooperative relationship between these two entities.

The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States, Canada (UA), affiliated with the national building trades, represents approximately 340,000 plumbers, pipefitters, sprinkler fitters, service technicians, and welders in local unions across North America. The UA also honors a federation agreement with both the Australian Plumbing Trades Employees Union (PTEU) and Irish Technical, Engineering Electrical Union (TEEU).

The UA has been training qualified pipe tradesmen and women longer than anyone else in the industry, and provides the premier training programs available in the industry today, including five-year apprenticeship programs, extensive journeyman training, a comprehensive, five-year instructor training program, and numerous certification programs.

“The partnership Shelton State’s Welding program has established with the United Association-Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, and Service Techs (UA) is a crucial component in our mission to empower students with the education and training needed to begin a career in the construction industry,” said Grant Cockrell, Shelton State Associate Dean of Technical Services. “As the construction industry relies heavily on the UA to fill its workforce needs, our formal partnership is important to ensure our graduates have a pathway into the career they are pursuing.”

For more information on the articulation agreement, contact Grant Cockrell at 205.391.2384 or gcockrell@sheltonstate.edu.

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