Mark Alston (in orange) and Corbin Everett (in yellow) are in training to become Ornamental Iron Workers.
Class of 2015 graduates Mark Alston and Corbin Everett are both first-year apprentices with Local 580 Ornamental Ironworkers. Since starting their apprenticeships in September 2015, they have been working on the construction of the Hudson Yards development on the west side of Manhattan. As Ornamental Ironworkers, they are responsible for all non-structural ironwork in the buildings, including window frames, railings, staircases, etc.
Mark: “I have to get up at 4:30 every morning to be on the job site by 6am. Being late is not an option. Blueprint reading is not taught until the 3rd year of the apprenticeship, but I already know how to do that because I learned it at WHSAD.”
Corbin: “Being able to do math in my head is really important — like when using the surveyor’s gun, which gives measurements in decimals, and converting them into feet and inches. The margin of error is only 3/16″, so you have to be precise.”
In addition to work at the job site, apprentices also take classes twice a week, and have the opportunity to apply Union college scholarships to further their education and their career.
