International Training Institute (ITI)

09/23/2026

Great session today, Navigating Generational Complexity: Lessons from Today's Workforce, led by Mark Threeton, Executive Director of the Professional Personal Development Center and a professor at Penn State. He broke down how generational differences can impact recruitment, training, and retention. He got the whole room talking with quick five-minute discussions built around real examples. The takeaway: every generation brings its own strengths and gaps, and collaborating across generations is what makes a stronger workforce.

09/22/2026

Big moment at SMII 2026: ITI signed a new partnership with Rowan University, and it's a great opportunity for apprentices to keep building their careers! Members can now earn 59 college credits toward a Bachelor of Arts in Construction Management, 100% online, with a 25% tuition discount for union members.

09/22/2026

We've landed in Atlanta for the very first Sheet Metal Industry Institutes' (SMII) conference. Executive Director Mike Harris kicked things off by explaining what makes it so special: ITI, SMOHIT, NEMI, under one roof, for the first time ever, all working toward the same goal.

Robyn Benincasa followed with a keynote on building a great team: think "we," and remember you're defined by your comeback, not your setback.

John Jackson, Craig Reehten, and Jeff Bradley then shared the stage, each with an update on their own institute. Three days of breakouts, speakers and connections ahead, stop by our booth and say hi if you're here.

09/11/2026

Today, we remember the 9/11 attacks and the lives lost on that day. We honor the first responders, building trades members, and everyone who showed extraordinary courage on one of America’s darkest days and in the years of rebuilding that followed. Now, 25 years later, we carry their spirit of service and community forward. We will not forget them.

09/07/2026

Labor Day is more than the end of summer. It's a remembrance of the movement that won the 8-hour day, the weekend and improved safety standards.

SMART members, you're part of that story. Where we started, where we are today and where we're headed in the future are built on workers standing together for a common cause.

Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day!

07/14/2026

The International Training Institute is excited to have been selected to receive funding support from Google through their AI Opportunity Fund — part of a $50 million national commitment to strengthen skilled trades training across the country.

This investment is going directly into expanding and modernizing our apprenticeship curriculum, so that every apprentice coming through a JATC training center is trained on the technology they'll be using from day one on the job.

Our members have always led the way in innovation. Robotic equipment. 3D laser scanning. Virtual reality training. BIM. The job site has never been more advanced, and now our training will match it.

We're proud to be recognized by .org as a leader in building America's workforce. And we're even more proud to bring that investment back to our apprentices, instructors, and coordinators across every JATC in the country.

Share this with your local and let us know what you think in the comments.

Read the full announcement at
https://news.sheetmetal-iti.org/iti-to-bolster-apprenticeship-training-with-support-from-google-org/

The International Training Institute (ITI) is pleased to announce a new initiative to expand, enhance and modernize portions of our training curriculum thanks to funding support from Google’s philanthropy, Google.org.

07/04/2026

🇺🇸 Happy 4th of July from all of us at the International Training Institute!

Today, we celebrate the freedom, hard work, and solidarity that this country was built on. The same values that drive every SMART Union Brother and Sister across the U.S.

Whether you're firing up the grill or watching fireworks, we hope you're surrounded by the people who matter most. Enjoy a safe and happy Independence Day! 🎆

06/24/2026

Big news for the sheet metal industry.

Google is expanding its skilled trades training support through a $50 million Google.org commitment to prepare more than 300,000 American workers for high-demand careers.

The International Training Institute is among the organizations selected to receive funding to modernize coursework, strengthen apprentice support, and implement new AI tools across our training programs.

This is a national acknowledgment of what we've always known: sheet metal workers build the infrastructure that keeps America running. Data centers. Cooling systems. HVAC. Ventilation. The demand is real and so is the opportunity.

With 146 JATCs and thousands of new apprentices entering the trade every year, ITI is committed to giving every one of them the resources, skills, and accreditation to build a career that lasts.

Article: https://lnkd.in/eWU6aise

Blog: https://lnkd.in/eWGtrHrt

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

06/22/2026

Something powerful happened this week. 🤝

This week, the International Training Institute (ITI) hosted its inaugural Bias and Belonging Trainer Conference, and it was a milestone worth sharing.

Participants representing JATCs, SMART International, and SMACNA gathered with a shared goal: to make the sheet metal trade a better, more welcoming place for everyone.

Together, they celebrated what's working in the classroom, tackled what isn't, and left with real ideas to carry back to their training centers.

This is what "One Team" looks like in action. The work we do inside the training center matters just as much as the work we do on the job.

04/23/2026

You don’t have to be an instructor or training coordinator to take classes with ITI. Courses such as TAB Learning 101 and TAB Learning 201, Direct Digital Controls, Mini Splits-VRF, Architectural Wall Cladding - MCM Systems, Intro to Heat Pumps, Ventilation Verification and Indoor Air Quality, and Advanced Service Technician are available in person — with Revit courses available online — in 2026 for any SMART member that contributes to ITI and is in good standing. Get the full list at https://www.sheetmetal-iti.org/course-catalog.