b'HVACR VIP Program OffersEndless Opportunities for Apprentice Scott Hale, an HVACR apprenticewith Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 296, Boise, ID, was a Combat Engineer in the Army for eight years before becoming a UA member. He came into Local 296 as a second-year apprentice and heard about the VIP program through his First Sergeant, who also went through the HVACR VIP program. Scott said,need it for a startup, remodeling, maintenance for commer-He told me to check it out, to see if I would like it. It wascial and residential, and just a broad spectrum of stuff.between welding or HVACR. I checked out both, because I Scott works for Mech Tech Services, which is a family was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do, butowned and operated HVACR company serving residential thought HVACR was a lot of fun. I knew I didnt want to beand commercial clients in Boise, ID, and its surrounding in the military, and I was bouncing around between a cou- areas. Mech Tech is owned by Jake and Angie Pereira. ple of different programs, but I saw that the VIP program isScott said, My boss, Jake, is super awesome. He has a union, and you get healthcare still like in the military. couple of apartments that were working on and newScott went through the VIP program at Joint Baseconstruction bids that he has. Then, I do service calls Lewis-McChord (JBLM). JBLM was the first base to start thewhere I go out and diagnose the residential and commer-HVACR VIP program. That base is really cool, and the VIPcial jobs. Scott hopes to continue working for Mech Tech programs are really well put together over there, he said.in the future, stating, I like it a lot. I have a cool boss, but They start off with math and the harder stuff first, andeven if I didnt, I like this trade a lot. I learn something then we went into the EPA certs, because thats a hugenew every day, and my boss even tells me he learns thing for refrigerationyou have to be able to handle it.something new all the time. Hes been doing it for 20 After that, we got to do the fun stuff like brazing, and di- years. The journeymen, plumbers, and welders, they al-agnosing the electrical components, and messing aroundways talk about how you have to be open to learning with cool boards.something different every single day in this field.Scott did one tour to Afghanistan during his time in the The familiar brotherhood of the military is one of the Army, stating, We were on a route clearance packagethings that drew Scott to the VIP program. The union in when we deployed. I did the one, and then I got luckygeneral has a lot of the same family morals that the mili-with our next mission. We picked up a search-and-rescuetary has, he said. It has the same brotherhood that the mission. It was after 9/11, so it was in reaction to that.military projects in protecting each other. They made a specific rotating unit, so anybody can get it, Scott didnt know what he wanted to do before joining but we came up on it. I got to learn confined space andthe military at 21, and he didnt know what he wanted to trench, which transferred over to this job. do after the military at 29, but the VIP program opened a Scott was interested in becoming an HVACR service techni- world of opportunity for Scott, and he took that opportu-cian after discovering the job opportunities would be end- nity and ran with it. So, for the first time in Scotts life, he less. He said, In HVACR, youre a service tech, and youreknows exactly what he wants to do. always going to need HVACR in any kind of capacity. You opsCAREERCareer Opportunities in Piping for Transitioning Veterans Fall/Winter 2022'