“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” – Henry Ford, American Industrialist
The late Henry Ford would be smiling, and it’s not because of all the Ford F-150 trucks parked adjacent to company shops, yards, and project sites.
Along with being known as the inventor of the first car that was “affordable for the average person,” the first factory-built pickup truck—and even the term “pickup truck”—the assembly line, and founder of Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford was a life-long learner. Ford, who died in 1947 while still learning at the age of 83, would be thrilled to see the philosophy of self-motivation and education alive today within the Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship & Training Program, and specifically the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18 Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship.
Continuing the spearheading of the “continual learning” mindset of the Operating Engineers Apprenticeship & Training Program is Manuel “Manny” Gutierrez, who in April succeeded Don Black as its Administrative Manager/Director of Operations. “With our Maintenance Technicians, and our regular apprentices, one thing we keep reminding them is to always constantly learn,” Gutierrez said. “You’re never done learning. We drive that into each of our students—‘to not rest on their laurels.’” The ever-changing technological advances in heavy/highway construction equipment make it necessary for maintenance technicians to stay current on their knowledge and training. Gutierrez wants contractors to know that the IUOE Local 18 staff is doing what they can to help.
“One of the nice things that we offer to our members, which I think benefits OCA and the employers, is that we offer top-notch training,” Gutierrez said. “We’re constantly telling our instructors that as soon as we find a class that is talking about new technology, to send our people to get trained up, so we can come back and apply it at our facilities for our students, our apprentices, and our members. We try to keep current with technology, and hopefully, it translates to the employers that they are getting a better operator or technician; they’re getting better quality, better knowledge, better well-rounded skill wise that would make them versatile for the contractor.”
Gutierrez is approaching his 30th year of involvement with IUOE Local 18, where he has served in nearly every capacity—from equipment operator apprentice to now leading. His apprenticeship began in 1995 at the Waterville-Whitehouse Training Center, now located in Cygnet. Through his apprenticeship training and until 2012, Gutierrez was a heavy-equipment operator with The Gerken Companies in Napoleon. “My bread and butter for the longest time was heavy-highway paving,” he said with a smile, recalling the expansion of U.S. Route 30 near Upper Sandusky as one of his most memorable projects.
Gutierrez took the opportunity to meld his love of being a skilled tradesman with his initial dream of teaching. Growing up in a family of migrant farmers—who “followed whatever crop we were working on” from Florida to Wisconsin and throughout the U.S. before settling in his “hometown” of Fremont—Gutierrez relied on a tutor to learn to speak English. “I had an English tutor from kindergarten to ninth grade … They left a very strong impression on me, so I wanted to give back,” he said. So, when he was approached in 2012 to become an instructor with the Apprenticeship and Training Program, he accepted. “I appreciate the people that got me to where I’m at, so I wanted to help give to people at the same level I received.”
Along with being an instructor for the past 12 years, Gutierrez served as Regional Coordinator for the Ohio Operating Engineers Local 18 Region 1 (Richfield) Training Center—and for a short time Region 2 (Cygnet)—for nearly six years. He was named Director of Operations of the Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship and Training Program in August 2022 in what he calls a “training camp” in preparation for adding Administrative Manager to his title in April. “I wound up coming down to Columbus to become Director of Operations, and that was my training camp with Don Black for administrators.”
Along with being the successor to Black, who retired after serving IUOE Local 18 for more than 30 years and as Administrative Manager since 1997, Gutierrez admits feeling the pressure of his new title. “I take this position very seriously because, in the end, we are fiduciaries for our members,” he said. “The biggest realization is everything I do reflects upon the apprenticeship, and my goal is to make it as good and as great as possible. So that way any of our members can come into any of our training facilities and be treated well and have a great place to learn with a great environment.”
In addition to assuring that apprentices feel welcomed in the Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship and Training Program, Gutierrez wants to make sure contractors know the welcome mat is out for them as well—specifically in the Maintenance Technicians Program. Seeing the ever-increasing complexity of today’s heavy/highway construction equipment, and the tighter construction schedules where there is no time for equipment downtime, the Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship and Training Program began its Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship in 2019.
“Nowadays, with the equipment being new and more computer-based—and especially now when you think about the ‘re-gen systems’ on the machine, there is a lot of troubleshooting that you can do and save money by having a good, qualified technician that can access your machines’ computers,” Gutierrez said. The four-year Maintenance Technician’s apprenticeship covers topics from shop safety and practices through Level 4 engines, powertrains, hydraulic repairs, and more. From the initial 13 apprentices in the program, the number of participants has grown to nearly 50. “I would like to see at least 100 maintenance technicians in our program,” Gutierrez said, “and I’m hoping we can get there within the next five years.”
Along with the growing enrollment, Gutierrez said the curriculum is being constantly expanded and updated. “We like to talk with the maintenance techs as they graduate to see what worked successfully in the program and how we can improve.” These conversations have led to more instruction in advanced hydraulics and electronics.
Ideas for improving the apprenticeship program have also come from contractors; in turn, the Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship and Training Program has ideas to help contractors get the maintenance technicians they need. Gutierrez said his team can help find candidates, noting that they garnered more than 3,000 applications in 2022 through recruiting events and ultimately accepted 100 into the Operator and Technician programs. “We will find someone that fits (the company). We aren’t just going to send someone randomly, because not everyone clicks together … We will adjust and cater each of our maintenance techs to your company,” adding that after years of apprenticeship training, “(Contractors) will get someone trained to exactly their wants and needs.”
Another option is for contractors to send people already employed by the company. “Send them to us,” Gutierrez said. “If they really want that person trained up, we’ll get them into the program … We’ll see what they know and then build more and more on what they know and learn.”
OCA Director of Labor Relations & Safety Dave Coniglio wants members to know how the IUOE Local 18 is helping members, especially during Ohio’s construction boom. “Because of the large projects currently underway in the state, I feel that every contractor needs at least one maintenance technician, and a lot of contractors don’t know how easy it is to get them into the Apprenticeship and Training Program. They think they need to call the (union) hall to find an operator or maintenance technician. They don’t. If you know someone and you want to get them into the program, all you have to do is sponsor them. They’ll be in the training program to get training and they’ll be able to help you immediately.”
Complete General Construction is one OCA contracting member utilizing the Operating Engineers Apprenticeship and Training Program’s “direct entry route.” Suzanne Hall, who has served as EEO/Human Resources Officer for the Columbus-based contractor for more than 20 years, said Complete General was among the first companies to utilize the Apprenticeship and Training Program for its employees.
“We’re trying to build our numbers of operators and mechanics because we’re aging out,” Hall said. “We need to bring these younger (operators and mechanics) in so they can learn from our seasoned employees that are really good at their job. So when they retire, we have a good base …” Hall said that while the processes differ among the skilled trades of getting employees involved in the programs, it’s relatively simple. “We tell them to go online and fill out an application letting (the Operating Engineers) know that we are sponsoring them.” Currently, Complete General is sponsoring 12 individuals in the program—10 equipment operators and two maintenance technicians.
If a contractor is interested in getting an employee enrolled into the Operating Engineers’ Apprenticeship and Training Program, Gutierrez said they should contact their IUOE Local 18 union hall, write a letter on behalf of the employee, and send it to IUOE Local 18 Business Manager Michael Bertolone. Once approved, Gutierrez is notified and contacts the center where the apprentice candidate will train. Once he or she passes a test and interview, they are scheduled to be in the next orientation.
“Our program is constantly evolving,” Gutierrez added. “We will never settle on our laurels, so if there is something that you need to learn we will learn it so we can offer it to any and all of our members. Because we want to stay ahead of the curve.”
