Despite having prior experience in construction, Russell Pawelko was looking for additional knowledge to level up from working a job to starting a career.
While on probation, Russell’s parole officer recommended WRTP | BIG STEP and the union trades. Russell came to our Racine office and learned about what the unions had to offer.
“They could benefit me by helping me find a job and get my career started,” Russell says. “I was looking to plumbing as a career and wanted to learn about that.”
Russell enrolled in our Highway Construction Skills Training (HCST) course, a seven-week training program funded by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. This certified pre-apprenticeship program focuses on preparing participants for roadbuilding careers and includes OSHA and First Aid/CPR certification, flagger’s training, and commercial driver’s license preparation. HCST turned out to be the in road to a plumbing career that Russell needed.
“I had about 15 years of experience in construction, but I didn’t have the knowledge that I needed to get back into it,” Russell says. “WRTP | BIG STEP started my career and kept me going where I needed to go.”
After graduating from the HCST program in January 2022, Russell joined Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 118 and was hired by M&O Insulation Company as an insulator apprentice. Today, Russell can be found working on the Microsoft data center project in Mount Pleasant, earning $48 per hour as an insulator apprentice.
“I’ve recommended WRTP | BIG STEP to about seven people,” Russell says. “They didn’t know about it, so I told them go to orientation and training for seven weeks, and after that, you can sign up for whatever career you want.”