July 11, 2017 - Minutes of Public Meetings - Apprenticeship and Training Council

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Mr. William C. Taylor called the Council meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., Metropolitan Washington Chapter, 6901 Muirkirk Meadows Drive, Suite F, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 and welcomed all Council members, staff and guests in attendance. He recognized Mr. Jason C. Roberts, the Director of Education for the Metropolitan Washington Chapter, and thanked them for hosting the meeting at their training facility. Mr. Roberts invited anyone interested to stay for a tour of their training facility following the Council meeting. He also noted that there would be a graduation ceremony for the Jump Start Program for Prince George’s County later that morning.

PRESENT:

COUNCIL MEMBERS:
William C. Taylor - Chairperson, Public Representative
Jennifer D. Runkles - Public Representative
Brian S. Cavey – Employee Representative
Norbert R. Klusmann, Sr. - Employee Representative
Alexander E. Poling – Employee Representative
Leon W. Bromley - Employer Representative
Michelle L. Butt - Employer Representative
Edwin Cluster - Employer Representative
Grant B. Shmelzer - Employer Representative
David Smarte - Employer Representative

Charles J. Most, Jr. - Consultant to the Council

OTHERS:
James Rzepkowski - Assistant Secretary for Workforce Development and Adult Learning, DLLR
Brandon S. Butler - Deputy Assistant Secretary for Workforce Development and Adult Learning, DLLR
Christopher D. MacLarion – MATP
Kelton Addison - MATP
Gina Best - MATP
Lorella Dicks - MATP
André Keyser - MATP
Mark Millen - MATP
Jane Sinclair - MATP
John P. Taylor - MATP
John F. Vontran - MATP
Michael L. Alexander - Baltimore City Joint Apprenticeship Committee
Jay Bouis - Community College of Baltimore County
Michael Bower - Maritime Applied Physics Corporation
Jerome Brown - Brick House Brown Masonry, Inc.
Christopher M. Cash - Washington, D.C. Electricians JATC, I.B.E.W. Local No. 26
Brian Courtian - Finishing Trades Institute of Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Vicinities
Talmadge Ellerbe - Nestle Dreyer’s Ice Cream Company
Gordon Faircloth - Maritime Applied Physics Corporation
Kathy Gress - Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Cumberland Valley Chapter
Leza Griffith - DLLR/OAG
Sarah Harlan - DLLR/OAG
Ross Jackson - Schuster Concrete Construction
Mark Matthews - Urban Container Living
Brigitte Quick - Tree Care Industry Association
Jason C. Roberts - Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Metropolitan Washington Chapter
David Springham - Baltimore JATC for the Electrical Industry
Nancy Tretick - Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Chesapeake Shores Chapter
Julia Yearian - Bauguess Electrical Services, Inc.
Charles Wallace - Maryland State Department of Education
Neil E. Wilford, Jr. - Baltimore JATC for the Electrical Industry

I. The first order of business was the approval of the minutes of the May 9, 2017 Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council meeting. The minutes of the May 9, 2017 Council meeting were approved as submitted.

II. DIRECTOR’S REPORT:

A. Mr. MacLarion provided the opportunity for Assistant Secretary Rzepkowski to deliver some remarks to the Council. Assistant Secretary Rzepkowski informed Council members that Secretary Schulz was not able be in attendance at the meeting, however, she was excited by what the staff and the Council are doing as was shown on the agenda for the Council meeting.

B. Council members were provided with an update on the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Fund. Mr. MacLarion stated that as of June 30, 2017, the fund had a balance of $531,230.56. $54,180.84 was contributed into the fund during the month of May and $30,217.83 came into the fund during June. He also noted that there were two approved projects that were still pending for which funds were obligated; $50,000 for Youth Apprenticeship in Frederick and Washington Counties.

C. Mr. MacLarion also provided Council members with an update on the Apprenticeship USA grant. He stated that 11 Apprenticeship Innovation Fund grants had been awarded to date and that approximately $475,000 has been allocated out of the approximately $600,000 that had been authorized to be awarded.

D. Council members were informed that there was a continued push for the Eligible Training Provider List. There were 14 apprenticeship program sponsors on that list as of the May 9, 2017 Council meeting which had grown to 22 apprenticeship program sponsors as of the July 11, 2017 meeting. Mr. MacLarion stated that the goal is to add at least 10 apprenticeship program sponsors per month so that by the end of the year all active apprenticeship program sponsors that wanted to be on the list would be on it.

F. Council members were informed of a state tax credit in Maryland for hiring new apprentices that went into effect on July 1, 2017. The credit is in the amount of $1,000 for new apprentices who work for at least seven months in a calendar year. Mr. MacLarion stated that those interested in the tax credit would be able to find more information about it on the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation website. He added that there was also information about the Providing Our Workers Education and Readiness (POWER) - Apprenticeship Act on the website.

G. Mr. Clinedinst noted that several months ago, he had met with Secretary Schulz to discuss the lack of apprenticeship in Maryland’s American Job Centers. Mr. MacLarion responded by giving an overview of measures that are underway to provide more information about apprenticeship in all thirty-two of the centers.

III. NEW BUSINESS:

A. NEW PROGRAMS:

1. Bauguess Electrical Services, Inc.(John F. Vontran) – Occupation of Electrician. Related instruction to be through New Castle County Vo-Tech Adult Education Delcastle site. [Printed Standards Forms]

Mr. Vontran presented this proposed new apprenticeship program to the Council members and introduced Ms. Julia Yearian who was in attendance representing Bauguess Electrical Services, Inc. He added that both Ms. Yearian and Mark Bauguess, President of Bauguess Electrical Services, Inc., had experience working with registered apprenticeship while with a former registered apprenticeship program sponsor, Triton Construction Company, Inc.

Mr. Klusmann inquired as to why their related instruction classes would be in Delaware rather than in Maryland. Ms. Yearian responded that they had not been successful in finding suitable classes in Cecil County Maryland. She stated that while there are classes in Harford County Maryland, those classes are further from their apprentices than the ones in New Castle County Delaware. Mr. Shmelzer added that I.E.C. Chesapeake, Inc. had been attempting to add related instruction classes through Cecil College for the past several years but had not found enough contractor support to do so.

A motion to approve this request for registration of Standards of Apprenticeship was made by Ms. Butt, seconded by Mr. Smarte and approved with eight (8) members in favor of the motion and one (1) abstention.

2. Nestle Dreyer’s Ice Cream Company (John F. Vontran) – Occupation of Industrial Maintenance Mechanic. Related instruction to be through the Community College of Baltimore County. Request for registration of an Affirmative Action Plan with apprentice selection procedures and goals and timetables for minority and female apprentices. [Printed Standards Forms]

Mr. Vontran presented this proposed new apprenticeship program to the Council members and introduced Mr. Talmadge Ellerbe who was in attendance representing the company.

Mr. Cluster asked whether there would be a dedicated sequence in how the related instruction courses would be presented. Mr. Bouis of the Community College of Baltimore County responded that some of the courses would have to be taken in a specific order but other courses could be moved around.

Mr. Shmelzer asked about how related instruction attendance would be recorded. Mr. MacLarion explained the process that had been developed for the community college to keep records of the actual hours that apprentices had attended classes as well as apprentices’ actual grades.

A motion to approve this request for registration of Standards of Apprenticeship pending the sequencing of the related instruction classes was made by Mr. Shmelzer, seconded by Mr. Smarte and unanimously approved.

A motion to approve the Affirmative Action Plan with apprentice selection procedures and goals and timetables for minority and female apprentices was made by Mr. Smarte, seconded by Ms. Runkles and unanimously approved.

Mr. Vontran informed Council members that he would be meeting with Mr. Bouis after the Council meeting in regards to the sequencing of the courses.

3. Tree Care Industry Association (John F. Vontran) – Occupation of Arborist. Related instruction to be through the Community College of Baltimore County. Request for registration of an Affirmative Action Plan with apprentice selection procedures and goals and timetables for minority and female apprentices.

Mr. Vontran presented this proposed new apprenticeship program to the Council members and introduced Ms. Brigitte Quick who was in attendance representing the Tree Care Industry Association. He stated that they have an address in Maryland located in Towson and, if approved, that would be the address that would be used for their apprenticeship program.

A motion to approve this request for registration of Standards of Apprenticeship was made by Mr. Smarte, seconded by Ms. Runkles and unanimously approved.

A motion to approve the Affirmative Action Plan with apprentice selection procedures and goals and timetables for minority and female apprentices was made by Mr. Smarte, seconded by Ms. Runkles and unanimously approved.

B. PROGRAM REVSIONS:

1. Brick House Brown Masonry, Inc. (John F. Vontran) – Request for reactivation of Standards of apprenticeship for the occupation of Bricklayer.

Mr. Vontran presented this request to the Council members and introduced Mr. Jerome Brown who was in attendance representing the company.

Mr. Cluster inquired about the source of the related instruction for this apprenticeship program. Mr. Brown responded that the related instruction classes would be held in-house.

Mr. Shmelzer asked how the apprenticeship program had become inactive. Mr. Brown replied that the company had moved to a new location since the apprenticeship program was registered.

A motion to approve the request for reactivation of Standards of Apprenticeship for Brick House Brown Masonry, Inc. for the occupation of Bricklayer was made by Ms. Runkles, seconded by Mr. Cluster and unanimously approved.

2. Maritime Applied Physics Corporation (John F. Vontran) - request for reactivation of Standards of Apprenticeship for the occupation or Machinist.

Mr. Vontran presented this request to the Council members and introduced Mr. Michael Bower and Mr. Gordon Faircloth who were in attendance representing the company.

Mr. Smarte questioned why the company had a total of 70 employees but on three journeyworkers in the occupation of Machinist. Mr. Bower responded that they were primarily an engineering company that has a manufacturing capability rather than being job shop so the largest proportion of their employees are in engineering.

Mr. MacLarion explained to the Council that this company was one of the recipients of an Apprenticeship Innovation grant. They have agreed to take students from Carver Vocational-Technical High School in Baltimore City that did not have an adequate education in their skilled occupation as the school was not able to retain qualified staff as instructors. To bridge that gap, the Maritime Applied Physics Corporation was partnering with the Community College of Baltimore County in a pre-apprenticeship program to bring them up to the minimum criteria to enter into an apprenticeship program.

Mr. Clinedinst inquired about the percentages of the apprentice wage progression schedule. There was considerable discussion between Council members and the representatives of the company regarding those percentages. Mr. Vontran indicated that he would be willing to work further with the company in regards to the apprentice wage progression schedule.

A motion to approve the request for reactivation of Standards of Apprenticeship for the occupation of Machinist for the Maritime Applied Physics Corporation was made by Mr. Smarte, seconded by Mr. Runkles and unanimously approved.

3. Schuster Concrete Construction (John F. Vontran) – Revision to add an Affirmative Action Plan with apprentice selection procedures and goals and timetables for minority and female apprentices.

Mr. Vontran presented this request to the Council members and introduced Mr. Ross Jackson who was in attendance representing the company

A motion to approve the request by Schuster Concrete Construction for the registration of an Affirmative Action Plan with apprentice selection procedures and goals and timetables for minority and female apprentices was made by Ms. Butt, seconded by Ms. Runkles and unanimously approved.

C. PROGRAM REVIEWS (Five (5) or More Apprentices):

1. Baltimore JATC for the Electrical Industry (John F. Vontran).

A motion to accept this review, with staff recommendations, was made by Mr. Shmelzer, seconded by Mr. Clinedinst and unanimously approved.

2. I.E.C. Chesapeake, Inc. (John F.Vontran).

Employer representative Grant Shmelzer recused himself from this item of Council business.

A motion to accept this review, with staff recommendations, was made by Mr. Smarte, seconded by Ms. Runkles and unanimously approved.

D. PROGRAM REVIEWS (Fewer Than Five (5) Apprentices):

1. The following program reviews were performed and the programs were found to be conducted in a satisfactory manner. [No Council Action Required]:

a. CAP Electric, Inc. (Lorella Dicks) – Occupation of Electrician.

b. Danneman’s Auto Service, Inc. Gina Best) – Occupation of Automobile Mechanic.

c. Ellicott Dredges, LLC (Lorella Dicks) – Occupations of Engine and Other Machine Assembler and Machinist.

d. Union Memorial Hospital (Lorella Dicks) – Occupations of HVACR Technician, Maintenance Electrician and Plumber.

e. Wingard and Company, Inc. (Lorella Dicks) – Occupations of Tool Designer and Tool & Die Maker.

f. Your Comfort Company (André Keyser) – Occupations of Electrician and HVACR Technician.

E. VOLUNTARY REQUESTS FOR CANCELLATION OF STANDARDS OF APPRENTICESHIP.

1. Delmarva Master HVAC&R Contractors Association
effective May 5, 2017
Edward J. Weber Funeral Home
effective May 2, 2017
The Goddard School of Eldersburg
effective May 22, 2017
Hawkins Electric Service, Inc.
effective May 11, 2017
Marble Designs, Ltd.
effective May 12 2017
March Funeral Home, Inc.
effective June 6, 2017
Mid-Atlantic Heating & Air Conditioning
effective May 5 2017
Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home, Inc.
effective April 14, 2017
Plumbers and Pipefitters U.A. Local 782 JATC
effective May 16, 2017
Rosedale Funeral Home
effective June 6, 2017
Royal Plus Electric, Inc.
effective May 22, 2017
Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc.
effective May 16 2017
RYT Plumbing, Inc.
effective May 3 2017
Sumatech (formerly Supreme Tool & Die)
effective May 15, 2017
Toper Manufacturing Company, Inc.
effective April 26 2017.