Chicago Veterans Mark 15 Years of Utility Career Training Through UMAP (Chicago, IL) – A workforce program that has helped hundreds of military veterans transition into careers in the utility industry is celebrating 15 years of operation in Chicago.
The Utility Workers Military Assistance Program will mark the anniversary Wednesday, Sept. 9, with a daylong summit at Dawson Technical Institute of Kennedy-King College in Bronzeville. The event will bring together veterans, labor representatives, educators and industry officials for networking, career discussions, program information and facility tours.
UMAP was established in 2012 through a partnership involving Utility Workers Union of America Local 18007, Peoples Gas and City Colleges of Chicago. The program was created to give service members and veterans specialized training that could lead to full-time employment in the natural gas utility industry.
Over the past 15 years, the program has expanded to 38 cohorts and helped more than 700 veterans establish careers in the utility sector, according to the organizations involved.
Participants spend six months completing classroom instruction and hands-on internship training. The curriculum covers the construction and operation of natural gas distribution systems while providing 52 college credit hours.
The program’s college-credit component also gives participants a head start toward higher education, leaving them eight credits short of an associate in science degree.
Nick Passarelli, president of UWUA Local 18007, said the program grew out of an effort led by his father, Rick Passarelli, a Navy veteran and former Local 18007 business manager.
“My father, Rick Passarelli, is a Navy Veteran, a retired Local 18007 Business Manager, and the founder of the UMAP Program,” Passarelli said. “UWUA Local 18007 is proud to lead Peoples Gas in this program. Fifteen years later, we have changed the lives of many who have honorably worn the uniform.”
Kennedy-King College President Katonja Webb Walker said the program helps veterans translate their military experience into new professional opportunities.
“Our mission with Peoples Gas has been to create clear, impactful pathways to success, and uplifting those who have sacrificed so much for our country,” Webb Walker said. “Our veterans represent the very best of us, and through the UMAP program, we are honored to provide them with the training they deserve to secure meaningful, life-changing careers in the utility sector.”
Utility Workers Union of America President James Slevin said the Chicago program has grown beyond its original purpose and is now being replicated with partners elsewhere in the country.
“What started as a small training program to put veterans to work in Chicago has now transformed into a national model we are replicating with partners across the country,” Slevin said. “Recruiting and training veterans into good-paying union jobs to maintain and update Chicago’s gas infrastructure is a win-win-win for everyone involved.”
Funding for UMAP tuition comes in part from Illinois Workforce Innovation and Opportunity funding through the Chicago Federation of Labor Workforce and Community Initiative.
Peoples Gas President Maria Bocanegra said veterans entering the company through UMAP have become an important part of the workforce responsible for maintaining energy service across Chicago.
“Peoples Gas is committed to training and hiring local Chicagoans from the communities we serve,” Bocanegra said. “Veterans who come to us through UMAP play a crucial role in our work providing safe and reliable energy service to every city neighborhood.”
The anniversary summit will also feature a ceremonial agreement signing between the union, City Colleges and Peoples Gas, underscoring their continued commitment to the program.
Veterans interested in participating in UMAP can apply through the program. More information about City Colleges of Chicago is available at www.ccc.edu or by calling 773-COLLEGE (773-265-5343). City Colleges is also enrolling students for eight- and 12-week classes beginning Sept. 21 and Oct. 19.
Chicago Veterans Mark 15 Years of Utility Career Training Through UMAP
