United Association Veterans In Piping (UA VIP) Camp Lejeune Welding Class 23 students are halfway through their advanced welding training and will soon be ready for their new civilian careers.
The UA VIP program is a DOD Skillbridge Program that trains transitioning active-duty service members on base during their last six months of active duty.
Students undergo 18 weeks of welding training taught by journeyman instructors through a combination of classroom and hands-on instruction.
UA VIP program locations and trades are currently at select military installations, including:
- Camp Pendleton, California Welding
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington Welding and HVACR
- Fort Carson, Colorado Welding
- Fort Cavazos, Texas Welding
- Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Welding
- Fort Campbell, Kentucky Welding and Fire Suppression
- Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia HVACR
Many of the Class 23 students are originally from North Carolina but some decided after their military commitment ends and they graduate from the UA VIP program that they want to move on to UA apprenticeship programs located around the country.
Class 23 students have already obtained multiple industry-recognized certifications in welding, including their OSHA-safety training qualifications and will continue working towards additional certifications that give them a solid foundation to begin their new apprenticeships.
If you are an active-duty service member, you are invited to apply to the UA VIP program and work toward a rewarding civilian career in the pipe trades.
What a future with the UA could look like for you
Upon graduation and after they transition out of the military, Class 23 members will continue their training in a five-year UA-affiliated apprenticeship program, where they will earn steady wages and good healthcare benefits while working alongside journeyman welders.
The UA offers a wide range of career opportunities for qualified applicants interested in the piping industry. Transitioning active-duty service members can choose from various trades in HVACR, welding and fire suppression. These trades offer stable employment, competitive wages and career advancement opportunities.
Upon completing the apprenticeship program, apprentices become journeymen in their specific trade. As a journeyman, you can become a foreman, superintendent, UA signatory contractor, business owner or even a UA officer or organizer.
The career opportunities are endless, and the UA VIP program is prepared to give you the skills and tools you need to succeed.
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