To participate in the program, please click on "Learn More" at the bottom of this page.

STRUCTAL BRIDGES CONTINUES TO HIRE IN SUPPORT OF ITS
CLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE EXPANSION

Welder-Fitter Job Fair on August 21st

Claremont, NH: July 27, 2010— Structal Bridges, one of the largest bridge manufacturers in the country, has announced today that it is continuing its efforts to hire 40 welder-fitters over the course of one year. Structal is immediately recruiting 14 welder-fitters trainees and will be providing free training for these employees this fall. This comes at the successful completion of the initial hiring and current training of 12 welder-fitters that is taking place this summer.

Structal Bridges is partnering with River Valley Community College (RVCC), the New Hampshire Division of Resource & Economic Development, New Hampshire Works and the Vermont Department of Labor to enroll individuals in the newly developed Structal Welder-Fitter STAR program that will provide free education and training for new employees at the Structal Bridges facility in Claremont, New Hampshire.

“We are growing rapidly and have an immediate need to hire and train new welders and fitters.” said Tony Levesque, Project & Safety Manager of Structal Bridges. “We are pleased to join in partnership with this innovative program that will help Structal meet its hiring goals and provide opportunities for individuals who currently have no experience in the field.”

Earnings for the welder-fitter positions at Structal will start at $12.18 per hour with benefits, and the potential to earn up to $17.26 per hour after one year. Graduates of the education and training program will earn up to 28 college credits towards an associate degree and a Certificate in Advanced Welding Technology from RVCC. Individuals will also participate in a one-year apprenticeship program and earn a Certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Division upon completion.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to deliver the education to individuals who participate in this program.” said Jim Britton, Director of Business Training at RVCC. He said the individuals selected for this program will “have a unique opportunity to combine a paid position with free education and training that is worth 28 college credits to those who successfully complete the program.”

Individuals interested in the opportunity will need to apply on-line to attend a mandatory job fair being held on Saturday, August 21st at the Structal Bridges facility in Claremont, NH.

To apply to and learn more about the Structal Welder-Fitter STAR program, visit River Valley Community College online at WWW.RIVERVALLEY.EDU or call 603-690-4029.

About the Structal Welder-Fitter STAR Program

The Structal Welder-Fitter Skills Through Apprenticeship Retraining (STAR) program begins with an eight-week, forty hours per week, total immersion education program. All participants will become employed with Structal and will be paid during the course of the program. The training program will be held in sessions of 12-14 participants each over the course of one year.

In addition to occupational skills training, soft skills and work readiness components will be woven into the curriculum. Individuals who successfully complete the course work will earn a Certificate in Advanced Welding Technology from RVCC and 28 credits towards an Associates Degree. Participants will also participate in a one-year apprenticeship and obtain a US Department of Labor Welder-Fitter Apprenticeship Certificate of Completion.

About the Welder-Fitter Positions

All positions will be 3rd shift, covering a four-day work week: Monday - Thursday, 8:00PM – 6:30AM. Program participants will be hired at the beginning of the eight-week education program and earn $12.18/hour throughout the eight weeks of training. All successful graduates of the education program will earn $14.21/hour with benefits (after 90 days from date of hire), plus earn a $1/hr shift differential.

All participants will also enter a one year apprenticeship where participants will be eligible for performance-based pay increases leading to the potential of earning up to $17.26/hour with benefits, plus $1/hr shift differential, upon the completion of the one-year apprenticeship.

About Structal Bridges

Structal Bridges, a division of CANAM Steel Corporation, was established more than 50 years ago, is one of North America’s leading manufacturers of steel bridges, structural bearings and expansion joints for the highway, railway and forestry industries in both Canada and the United States. It operates plants with a combined annual production capacity of close to 75,000 tons in Quebec City, Laval and St. Gédéon in Canada as well as in Claremont, NH, and Point of Rocks, MD, in the United States.

Structal Bridges specializes in the design, manufacture and erection of steel bridges. Its customers include general contractors in the civil engineering sector, provincial and state departments of transportation, forestry businesses and railway companies. The company has worked on several major projects in the U.S. including the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Throgs Neck Bridge, all in New York City; the I-93 project in Salem, New Hampshire and the I-91/I-95 Interchange in New Haven, Connecticut.

For more information about Structal Bridges, please visit www.structalbridges.ws.

About CANAM Steel Corporation

CANAM Steel Corporation’s four United States joist and steel deck plants have been designing and fabricating steel joists and related components for decades. Many U.S. schools, government buildings, warehouses, stores, offices and commercial buildings all have CANAM’s quality steel construction built into them.