ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The International Training Institute (ITI), the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI), and the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) have formed the Sheet Metal Industry Resource Alliance (SMIRA). Under the umbrella organization SMIRA, the three organizations will work together to serve their members, which include sheet metal journeymen and apprentices and general contractors.
“Each of SMIRA’s three arms provides a distinct area of support for our members,” said James Shoulders, executive administrator for ITI, SMOHIT, and NEMI. “Especially in economic times such as these, it’s important our members understand all of the services and support we provide and how ITI, SMOHIT, and NEMI complement one another.”
ITI provides apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the industry at more than 180 training facilities throughout the United States and Canada. It offers a standardized sheet metal curriculum and is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Workers International Association and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association.
The training offered by ITI works hand-in-hand with NEMI, a not-for-profit organization established in 1981 to identify emerging markets and employment opportunities for the sheet metal industry. NEMI works to develop programs to capitalize on those opportunities as well as offer certification programs through its affiliations with the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau and the International Certification Board for HVAC technicians and supervisors.
The final organization that comprises the three groups under the SMIRA umbrella is SMOHIT. This organization’s mission is to develop and promote health and safety resources for more than 123,000 members of the sheet metal industry, thereby creating a safer, injury-free workforce. SMOHIT was created in 1986 to address issues of asbestos exposure through screenings and education and has since expanded its mission to include products, curriculum, and services for health and safety training. SMOHIT works directly with ITI to offer the training programs.
More information on each of the three organizations can be found at their respective Websites: www.sheetmetal-iti.org, www.nemionline.org, and www.smohit.org.
Publication date:04/12/2010
