The District Council 16 International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Apprenticeship Program has partnered with Saint Lawrence Academy to complete the final phase of the school’s weight training room renovation. With funding from an anonymous donor, the program installed mirrors while providing a training opportunity for apprentice glaziers.
“We are excited about this highly functional facility for our students and happy that we can partner with such a valuable program,” said Saint Lawrence Academy President Philip Dolan. “The donor family believes both in the apprenticeship program and in our school. When they contracted with the program to complete the work for us, the family members demonstrated their innovation in leveraging their donation to achieve double impact.”
The apprenticeship program provides no cost, on–the–job and classroom training for men and women pursuing construction trade careers in drywall finishing, floor covering, glazing and painting. The program costs are funded by contributions made by union construction employers who have a labor contract with District Council 16. The apprentices receive classroom instruction by certified instructors, and learn and work on the job at construction sites in the area.
They receive union benefits, such as pensions and health plans, and progress through levels of increasing wage scales until they become full journey level–craftsmen and women.
For Saint Lawrence Academy’s weight room project, glazier apprentices prepared the mirrors at the training facility by cutting and polishing them and affixing a safety backing. On site, they participated in the installation of the mirrors by attaching “J” molding and mastic to secure the mirrors to the weight room walls.
“The weight room is a pillar of any athletic program,” said Director of Athletics Dwayne Taylor, “and Saint Lawrence Academy is no exception. The renovations to the Saint Lawrence Academy weight room were a huge step in the right direction! We now have the opportunity to enhance our athletic program by giving our athletes the opportunity to train using first–class equipment, and gain them an advantage when they compete in games and matches. The weight room also provides the platform for our athletes to develop camaraderie and enhance solidarity. The new mirrors in the weight room are helpful because our coaches and players are able to watch themselves work out and correct any fundamental errors in technique.”
“The weight room has been beneficial to the baseball team as we prepare for the upcoming season,” said junior Cody Barela, “because we are able to perform agility drills and various strength training drills indoors.”
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) represents men and women in North America who work in the finishing trades as commercial and industrial painters, drywall finishers, floor covering installers, convention display and sign workers, and types of finishing work.
Saint Lawrence Academy is a four–year co–educational high school that provides students with an accredited college preparatory program within a small, family environment. It is Santa Clara’s only Catholic high school.
