Celebrating the Northern California Valley and Modesto Area Sheet Metal Workers’ Class of 2026

On August 22, 2026, the Sacramento and Modesto regions proudly strengthened their skilled and trained workforce as the Northern California Valley and Modesto Area Sheet Metal Workers’ Apprenticeship Class of 2026 celebrated the completion of their apprenticeship programs at the Northern California Sheet Metal Training Center. The annual ceremony recognized years of classroom instruction, hands-on training, field experience, and personal dedication.

Although the Class of 2026 was relatively small due to disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of the graduates’ accomplishment was no less meaningful. Each new journeyperson completed a demanding apprenticeship designed to develop the technical knowledge, practical skills, professionalism, and work ethic required to succeed in the sheet metal and HVAC industries.

Gary Myers, Vice President of Intech Mechanical and a member of the Joint Apprenticeship Committee, spoke about the importance of reaching this milestone while reminding the graduates that their development does not end with apprenticeship. He encouraged them to continue learning, improving their skills, and striving to be the best throughout their careers.

Alex Tiechner, Apprenticeship Training Administrator for the Northern California Valley Sheet Metal Industry JATC, recognized the tremendous amount of work each graduate completed to reach this point. Their achievement represents years of balancing demanding jobsites, classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory training, examinations, and personal responsibilities.

Mitch Koch, Apprenticeship Training Coordinator for the Modesto Area Sheet Metal JATC, reflected on the honor of watching the graduates expand their knowledge and abilities throughout the program. He recognized their progression from new apprentices into skilled and dependable journeypersons prepared to take on greater responsibilities within the industry.

Staci Teegarden, Apprenticeship Consultant with the California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Apprenticeship Standards, emphasized the importance of their accomplishment. She reminded the graduates that only a fraction of Californians complete a registered apprenticeship and earn the opportunity to enter their careers as fully trained journeypersons.

The graduates completed their apprenticeships while working for Local 104 signatory contractors. These contractors played an essential role by providing the employment, mentorship, supervision, and real-world experience necessary for apprentices to develop into qualified journey-level workers.

The new journeypersons are prepared to meet the increasingly technical needs of the Sacramento and Modesto communities. Their careers may include welding, commercial and residential HVAC, system service and troubleshooting, Testing, Adjusting and Balancing, architectural sheet metal, fabrication, detailing, and Building Information Modeling. The apprenticeship program combines classroom education with hands-on and field training across these specialized areas, preparing members to work with both established construction practices and rapidly advancing building technologies.

This achievement was made possible through the combined commitment of labor, management, the Joint Apprenticeship Committees, participating contractors, instructors, training-center staff, and the Labor Management Cooperative Trust. The official ceremony program recognized representatives of SMART Local 104, Sacramento Valley SMACNA, Intech Mechanical, ASSC, the apprenticeship committees, and the training staff who supported the Class of 2026.

SMART Local 104 and Sacramento Valley SMACNA proudly welcome these new journeypersons into the next stage of their careers. Completing an apprenticeship is a major accomplishment, but it is also the beginning of a lifetime of continued learning, leadership, craftsmanship, and service.

We congratulate the Northern California Valley and Modesto Area Sheet Metal Workers’ Class of 2026 and look forward to the exceptional work they will perform while serving the Sacramento and Modesto regions for decades to come.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 - together, we do it better.