IKORCC Hosts Women’s Workshop

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The IKORCC Diversity Committee hosted its first Women’s Workshop in Greenwood, IN, on June 24th, 2023. This event was created to give local women the tools and inspiration to do hands-on projects themselves and not be afraid to lead the way while doing so.

Speakers included local leading women, giving their testimonies on what it means to be a woman in leadership positions. Co-founder and owner of Two Chicks and a Hammer, from HGTV’s Good Bones, Mina Starsiak Hawk, spoke on her entrepreneurial start in home renovation and her success with the local housing market near downtown Indianapolis.

Local politicians Deb Whitfield, Ali Brown, Michelle Davis, and Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch gave the attendees a look into why running for office, no matter your background, age, or gender, is important for your community. Sarah Walker and Molly Burns spoke on their experiences in the construction industry, along with Dr. Rebecca Estes from the Indiana Department of Education, with the same goals of educating, promoting, and empowering women in the workforce.

 

Following the speakers, guests visited our training center, where they experienced hands-on workshops. The workshop opportunities included repairing a hole in drywall, reading a tape measure, hanging a shelf, changing door hardware, installing flooring, and more. IKORCC members and apprentices taught the attendees valuable yet simple do-it-yourself skills that all people could benefit from learning. Each workshop was taught with industry standards and safety precautions to ensure the attendees would carry on those new skills safely at home.

Overall, it was a great day for local women, not only to learn new skills and about the IKORCC, but also to network with some leading women in the area.

IKORCC Sends 50 Members to 2022 Sisters in the Brotherhood Conference

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In August 2022, the Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) sent 50 Sisters in the Brotherhood (SIB) to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) International Training Center for the 2022 International Sisters Conference.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Seize The Opportunity” – a call to action for attendees to get involved locally, regionally, and internationally in growing our diversity and union strength. Programming included motivational guest speakers, U.S. and Canadian diversity labor officials, and several workshops to directly touch on the unique challenges for UBC SIBs. The four-day event was full of networking opportunities and training for members ranging from apprentice to seasoned carpenters, millwrights, and industrial members. Read more

Union Carpenters to Build I Promise Housing Complex

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AKRON, OH – Home to the one-of-a-kind I Promise School initiated by a partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools, the I Promise complex is ready for the next big phase of their innovative learning model.  The LeBron James Family Foundation has been working with the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation or EANDC to develop affordable housing for families.

This new phase of the I Promise Network will offer housing with affordable rent expected to range from $350 to $850.  Families qualifying to live in the complex will be those earning 30% to 60% of Akron’s median household income of between $11,259 to $22,519, according to data reported by cleveland.com. Read more

IKORCC Cookout Lifts Community Spirits

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The Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenter’s I.D.E.A. (Inclusion. Diversity. Equity. Awareness.) Committee faced a challenge. Local community members in Dayton, Ohio were looking for a way to get more involved and wanted to take action to improve their neighborhood. Unifying the Community On Thursday, June 24th, 2021 the I.D.E.A. Committee joined together over 111 members of […]

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Vets carpenter

Helmets to Hardhats & IKORCC Help Vets Find Careers

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We are honored to have 25 Helmets to Hardhats vets graduating from the Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters in Ohio this weekend. Helmets to Hardhats helps our nation’s heroes transition from military to civilian life with a career in one of our trades.

This is a federally-approved apprenticeship program, meaning you can use your Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits to supplement your income.

Two organizations – one goal: Present great career choices for those who put their lives on hold to protect their homeland. The UBC’s Helmets to Hardhats program provides our nation’s military veterans with challenging careers in carpentry and a source of security for them and their families in the form of healthcare, retirement, and financial stability.

Learn more at ikorcc.com/diversity

IKORCC Sisters Motivated After UBC Conference

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Nearly 500 sisters from across the U.S. and Canada met at the International Training Center in Las Vegas for the Sisters in the Brotherhood Conference last month.

Sisters from the IKORCC were able to have their questions answered by General President Douglas McCarron – a rare opportunity our sisters took advantage of. They also heard from renowned guest speakers, attended workshops, traded ideas and most importantly learned how they could help grow the sisterhood.

A month later, our sisters are actively applying what they learned on job sites, at local meetings and in their everyday life to grow the sisterhood. See what they learned and how they are applying it below or by clicking here.

Honoring Vets at KY Derby Festival

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Saturday volunteers with the Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters spent the day honoring our nation’s bravest at the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville. The festival gave free admission to vets and their families for their annual Military Appreciation Day & Tyler Farr county concert.

indiana kentucky ohio regional council of carpenters, carpenters union, training

Volunteers from the IKORCC spent the day educating people about our Helmets to Hardhats program, which helps vets get a job after returning home, often within six weeks. Helmets to Hardhats helps military service members successfully transition back into civilian life by offering them the means to secure a quality career in the construction industry. Our federally-approved apprenticeship program allows vets to use their Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits to supplement their income.

Based on vet’s military occupation code, we can help leverage training and work-related experience during their time in the service for possible advanced placement in our apprenticeship program. With an honorable discharge, veterans can be working on a job site as soon as six weeks!

One of our carpenters and his wife, who volunteered at the event, were thrilled to meet country star Tyler Farr just before his concert Saturday!

We’d like to thank all the brave men and women that serve our nation’s military. We’d also like to thank the many volunteers who spent the weekend helping our community.

Click here to learn more about our Helmets to Hardhats program.

IKORCC & JATC Add 222 New Journeymen to the Workforce

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5200 hours of on the job training, 640 classroom hours, 4 years of dedication and sacrifice – that’s the kind of experience you get when you hire a union journeyman. Carpenters, Ohio Carpenter JourneymanSaturday night, 222 fully trained journeymen and women graduated from the JATC & IKORCC apprenticeship program in Columbus, Ohio.

The graduates are a vital addition to a workforce desperate for skilled tradesmen. Graduates were trained as carpenters, millwrights or floor coverers.

Building America with Skilled Trades

In a speech to graduates, Patrick Reardon, Executive Administrator of Apprenticeship for the Ohio Office of Workforce Development, said IKORCC carpenters are building our future.

“When we think of an elite carpentry workforce here in the United States – it’s everyone graduating in this room,” he said. “Everyone here is building America and we are relying on you to continue to catapult us to the future.”

16 Veterans Graduate through Helmets to Hardhats

16 of the graduates honorably served in our nation’s military and took part in the IKORCC’s Helmets to Hardhats program. Helmets to Hardhats puts vets on a fast track to union apprenticeship and a rewarding career in carpentry after their military service.

State Training Director Vince Wright said, “Thousands of veterans come home to Ohio each year and need new jobs and careers to get started in. I’m proud to say out of our 2,200 apprentices, we have 216 Helmets to Hardhats apprentices.”

Colonel Mark J. Cappone, Assistant Director of Ohio Veterans Affairs, said, “Tonight is a great way to remember the contributions that our vets make to the workforce, to remind us that those who have served have grit, determination, perseverance and they know how to be on a team.”

Colonel Cappone presented a sealed recognition of the apprenticeship program on behalf of Ohio Governor John Kasich at the event. Governor Kasich commended the graduates for their hard work.

Continuous Training Sets Union Carpenters Apart

IKORCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mark McGriff also commended the graduates, while offering advice for the future. “When writing the story of your life, make sure no one else is holding the pen,” he said.

“There are so many opportunities in this organization, you have to take advantage of every single one of them,” McGriff added. McGriff and other staff members encouraged new journeymen to keep up with continuous training and serve as role models for apprentices.

A New Generation of Journeymen

New graduate Jacob Weiser, from the Northwest JATC and Local 351, plans to do both. Staff chose Weiser to speak at graduation after recognizing his dedication. “I’ve learned the importance of this apprenticeship and why the training is necessary to push our union and our trade forward,” Weiser said.

Weiser added, “I’m going to keep learning and keep trying to find better ways to get things done. I’m going to give my contractor what he’s paying for – a solid eight hours of carpentry, from a well-trained union journeymen carpenter.”

Congratulations to all graduates! 

Megan Walkowiak Receives Appreciation Award from Carpenters Local 435

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The Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) selected Megan Walkowiak from Carpenters Local 435 to represent the Early Intervention Committee’s motto for, “Contractor, Community, Customer”, during the summer conference. She is a 3rd generation carpenter. Her grandfather, Benny Sroka (deceased), was an Honorary 65 year member, and her father, Dave Walkowiak, is a 39 year member. 

Like most young adults graduating high school, Megan had ambitions. She decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business management, with a minor in human resources. After entering the world of nine-to-five, she decided being behind a desk wasn’t for her. Instead, she wanted to pursue a career as a contractor. She approached her father about joining the carpenters union and he insisted she had to go through the apprenticeship program.

While going through her apprenticeship, Megan excelled and started to stand out as a leader. During the third year of her apprenticeship, Megan was chosen to go to the International Training Center (ITC) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Upon her return, she immediately applied the skills she learned from her training. Megan began to mentor other women in the trade and started giving back to the community. Megan stated that one of her favorite volunteer projects was reroofing a house for a needy family whose child had cerebral palsy.

Megan was appointed as Chairperson for Locals’ 435 and 373 Sisters in the Brotherhood (S.I.B.) Committee, where she conducts monthly meetings and continually inspires women to excel with their contractors, community, and customers. Recently, Megan was awarded a plaque of appreciation for all the work she has done. The plaque was presented to her at the August 8, 2017, Carpenters Local 435 Union meeting. Her father, along with her UBC sisters from Carpenters Locals 435 and 373, were in attendance to witness her accepting the award. The award was presented to her by the officers of Carpenters Local 435, several IKORCC representatives, and a special appearance by Teresa Moore, the IKORCC S.I.B. chairperson.

It is an honor to have this young lady go from an apprentice, journeyman, to newly a signatory contractor for our organization. The IKORCC looks forward to seeing great things come from her in the future and wishes her the best in her career!

Construction Industry Offers Women Opportunities For Success

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January 23, 2017

It’s no secret that construction is a male-dominated industry. In 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported there were 9.9 million workers in the construction field but only 9.3 percent were women.

There is plenty of room for more women to join the industry—at all levels—and it’s encouraging to see women climbing to new heights in important roles. For example, USG Corp., an industry-leading manufacturer of innovative building products and solutions, recently named its first female CEO, Jennifer Scanlon. She is excited to join other female leaders in the building space, like Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects, Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply, and Mary Rhinehart of Johns Manville.

The opportunities for women in construction are endless. Below are the stories of a few women who have succeeded in the industry; they fought stereotypes and broke down barriers to get to where they are today. They are an inspiring demonstration that women are fully capable of excelling in the construction industry, and point to a future of increased diversity in the workforce.

Debbie Hauanio

Ceiling Installation, Gibson Lewis, Indianapolis

Debbie Hauanio is a union carpenter who specializes in ceiling installation for Gibson Lewis in Indianapolis, Ind. She credits her success in the industry to working hard and enjoying a challenge.

As a lead ceiling installer with 23 years of experience, Hauanio runs an acoustical ceiling crew of six to eight installers. Her responsibilities run the gamut from organizing the teams and turning in weekly reports, to ensuring materials arrive on schedule and overseeing their installation.

Hauanio likes the varied nature of her job. “I kind of fell into the industry but I liked it. I did a four year apprenticeship and learned that it’s hard work, but can also be a lot of fun,” says Hauanio. “I don’t think I’d like being in an office every day. I like the sense of accomplishment when we finish a job and move on to the next.”

Hauanio is thankful for the opportunities she has had at Gibson Lewis. “I’ve been given many opportunities to prove myself and gained greater responsibility each time I’ve met those expectations.”

Q: What’s the greatest challenge for women in the construction industry?

A: I think many women don’t even have construction on their radar because of the physical demands of the job. They might be surprised if they tried! I had an interest in fixing things in my home. One thing led to another and here I am.

Q: What are the greatest changes you have seen during your years in the industry?

A: From my perspective as an installer, I haven’t seen a lot of changes. I haven’t seen a significant increase in women at the trade level. It takes a specific type of person to do what I do. It’s a lot of hard work.

Q: What advice can you give to women considering careers in this industry?

A: The best advice I have is to keep an open mind. If you’re interested, look into it. Talk to people in the industry. Don’t rule it out on principle. I probably work harder than most just because I’m a woman. The expectation that women can’t do the job as well as a man spurs me on. I often think, “Don’t tell me I can’t because I’m a girl! I’ll show you!”

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