Troy Fogg, Windham, Maine;Employer: Kinetics; Program: UA Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 716
After high school, I served four years in the United States Marine Corps. During my last 6 months of my enlistment, I joined the UA’s VIP (Veterans in Piping) program. This led me to join Local 716’s apprenticeship program in the fall of 2015. I was given a year’s worth of credit so I was able to start as a second-year apprentice in a five-year program. I knew that the transition would be tough, but my apprenticeship is training me for a lifelong career not just a dead-end job. I am currently on my fifth and final year of my apprenticeship. I am making good wages and benefits that I couldn’t get anywhere else. Thanks to my career path, I have been able to purchase a home and a new vehicle.
I enjoy working for Kinetics. I work with a respectable group of people. They have taken me under all their wings and have shown me the ropes. Not only have they helped with my on-the-job training, but also with advice and general life questions. Overall, I would say that my outcome with my apprenticeship is far greater than I could have imagined. I believe that an apprenticeship program is something that should be valued and respected. An apprenticeship program is something that should be pushed as a form of post-secondary education and not just viewed as a backup plan. My life has been changed for the better and I cannot imagine what I would be doing without being enrolled in the program. I am grateful for my smooth transition out of the military, compared to many who struggle.