Frank McDermott Graduates from Operating Engineers Apprenticeship Program
Operating Engineers Local 181
Last month, Helmets to Hardhats program user Frank McDermott graduated from Operating Engineers
Local 181's Apprenticeship Program in Boston, Kentucky. He entered the program in July 2005 after
serving in the U.S. Army and National Guard for 18 years.
In the military, Frank had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe, the U.S., and Iraq.
He found out about Helmets to Hardhats when he was in the National Guard, logged on to the website,
and was amazed to realize how many training opportunities there are within the various building
trades. Frank applied to Local 181's training program, was accepted, "and I've been working ever
since," he exclaims.
"When Frank first came to us, we put him straight into the classroom," states Local 181
Apprenticeship Coordinator, Junnie Pennington. "That's a benefit of coming to us through Helmets to
Hardhats. He didn't need to get on a waiting list; we got him going right away, and he's been a
very good apprentice all the way through."
Over the five years of his apprenticeship training, Frank worked on numerous construction
jobs big and small; including bridges, waterworks, and other infrastructure projects. Among some of
his high-profile construction jobs, Frank worked on a new Honda plant on a 288-acre development in
Indiana; McAlpine Locks and Dam in Louisville, KY (designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
by the American Society of Civil Engineers); and most recently, the Papa John Cardinals Stadium at
the University of Louisville, now regarded as one of the finest stadiums in college football.
"In the Operating Engineers, there's such a wide variety of jobs you can choose from," says
Frank. Some of the jobs that Operating Engineers do include: heavy equipment operators, mechanics,
and surveyors in the construction industry; and stationary engineers, who work in operations and
maintenance in building and industrial complexes and in the service industries.
"At the beginning of my apprenticeship, they gave me training in many different areas," Frank
explains. "I knew I wanted to work with heavy equipment, and I got experience on bulldozers, cranes
and other equipment. I really wanted to be on the cranes. Some of the big equipment can be
intimidating; it's not for everyone. But there are so many options, so everyone can find something
that suits them."
Frank points out that sometimes, due to local economics, he's been required to travel for
work. But he says that has never been a problem for him, thanks to his background in the military.
"My military training gave me a lot of skills for civilian life," he says. "One of them is being
flexible and being able to be successful when things change and you can move with the changes."
Another excellent benefit that Frank says the military provided him was experience working with
different teams of people, which he does today in his work on construction crews.
"The union was great about getting me working and getting me the 6,000 hours I needed to
graduate," he says. Now going forward as a journeyman, Frank says there continues to be work for
him and he is very happy in his new career. He also makes a point of promoting the Helmets to
Hardhats programs to other veterans in Kentucky. He is featured in a H2H video aimed at introducing
the program to Kentucky residents. "In central Kentucky, there is not much work right now," he
says, "so I tell returning Veterans: ‘You can travel and make a good living; and have a good,
long-lasting career from the skills you learn in an apprenticeship program.'" Frank encourages
others to sign up for H2H, because, he says, "With Helmets to Hardhats, there's something for
everyone."
