Brotherhood Across Borders
Written by: Dan Sustin, Training Coordinator of the Ohio Carpenters JATC, Richfield Campus
During the week of March 2nd–6th, the Richfield Training Center hosted a special out-of-town guest. Levi Beauchamp, the Training Coordinator and Instructor from the Alberta Carpenters Training Center, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, decided to take a field trip to Ohio.
In 2018, Levi took a class at the International Training Center with Richfield Campus Instructor Larry Elder. Throughout that class and in the time since then, these two Instructors struck up a friendship and routinely share and talk about the differences and similarities in how each of them conducts training back at their home Training Centers. Levi wanted to experience, firsthand, how the IKORCC provides training to its Apprentices and Journeymen. Levi sold this new training initiative to Colin Belliveau, Alberta’s Director of Training & Apprenticeship. He gave Levi the green light to travel from Calgary to Northeast Ohio, to spend a week immersed in training at the Richfield Campus.
During the week, Levi shadowed Larry Elder’s Roof Framing class, but also took the opportunity to peek in on other Apprentice classes taking place, such as Interior Finish, Concrete Footers & Walls, Interior Systems Layout, Hand & Power Tools, and even the Millwright’s Floor & Overhead Conveyor class. As well, he took pictures of the ICRA mock-ups and made notes on how training areas were laid out and floorspace was utilized in the Carpentry, Floor-layer, Millwright, and Cabinet shops, as well as the outdoor training areas.
Levi wasn’t content with just watching how the IKORCC does Apprentice training. Travelling 2,000 miles from home and in a different country, he wanted to make the most of this opportunity. So, after the Apprentice classes were done for the day, Levi stayed and took our Timber Framing class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening from 5pm-9pm and all-day Saturday.
Throughout the week, as word spread about the out-of-town guest at the Richfield Campus, Council Business Representatives stopped in to talk to Levi and to make sure he received all the right swag from the different locals in the area. Kyle Smith, a Senior Representative from the Cleveland Office, stopped by to welcome Levi. At the end of the training week, Levi headed back to Calgary with some new ideas to implement and a firsthand perspective on the training format that works for the IKORCC.
Here’s what Levi had to say upon reflection of his trip to the Richfield training center:
From the moment I entered the main doors I was immediately made to feel welcome and like family. A true sense of brotherhood was sincerely felt from my first day till my last and I will firmly say this is what will stick with me the most. This sense of brotherhood, the level of respect and mutual appreciation was not only felt but reciprocated. Thank you all for such an amazing experience, this is what Union brotherhood is truly about.
From myself, Cory Hudson, State Training Director Vince Wright, and the entirety of the Richfield staff; we’d like to thank Levi and our Alberta partners in this shared experience. We look forward to the future training potential this partnership holds.
