UPF continues to benefit from apprentice program
Ensley W. is an enthusiastic go-getter who joined the UPF Project as an ironworker apprentice in June 2024 while attending Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) in Knoxville.
“I chose to go to TCAT because I wanted a better life, and welding was intriguing,” she said. “I wanted to know how to weld for artistic reasons but quickly figured out that the skill could offer me a lot more as a career.”
Raised by a single mother, Ensley said her mom worked two or three jobs to provide for her and her two siblings, and with her grandparents’ help, she was able to work a part‑time job and attend welding school at TCAT.
After posting a video on Facebook of a welding bend test that she did in a TCAT class, she was contacted by a friend who told her to check out the local union because it was hiring welders. What was intended to be a meet and greet at the local union hall turned into a job offer to work on the UPF Project.
When asked about working with her UPF Project team, she said, “It’s a lot easier to come to work when you like your coworkers. It’s like working with your brothers. They are teaching me a lot and are very helpful. This is a cool thing to be a part of — being able to build something that will keep us all safe is awesome.”
The opportunity to take advantage of this type of career path is not lost on her. With emotion in her voice, she said, “I now have the opportunity to go higher. My mom and grandparents are very proud of me because I have the option to advance my life. They are happy and excited for the path that I am on.”
Being part of the CNS craft family is important to her after her apprenticeship graduation. “I would love to stay on the project after I top out. The promotion track is incredible. They incentivize you to stay and do a good job. The opportunity to learn is all around.”
Bruce B., union steward, is pleased with Ensley’s progress.
“She is a very good apprentice. She came to us straight out of high school and is a very quick learner,” Brown said. “Apprentices are able to acquire on‑the‑job‑training and true‑life experiences that they cannot get in the classroom or from books. They learn how to deal with different situations and people. They also learn the importance of ethics, honesty, and how to achieve quality work. Training of apprentices properly is critical to the continuation of the union and the construction industry. So, I feel it is very important to have apprentices on this project — our future depends on it.”
To anyone considering a trade school as a college alternative, Ensley offers, “I would tell them to go for it. It’s 3 to 5 years of your life, and there are so many benefits to being part of the union. You can be successful if you stick with it. Having a skill like this affords people opportunities for a better life.”
She graduated from the TCAT welding program in August 2024 and will complete the apprenticeship program in April 2027. Since graduating, she has been asked by TCAT instructors to monitor and judge student bend tests. To date, there are 100 apprentices working on the UPF Project.