CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From launch towers at Cape Canaveral to roller coasters at Central Florida’s theme parks, skilled ironworkers have been building some of the region’s most iconic structures for decades.
Now, a new training center in Orlando aims to ensure their skilled workforce continues to grow.
Ironworkers Local Union 808, chartered in Orlando in 1965, broke ground on its “Three Wisemen Apprentice and Training Facility,” named in honor of three contractors who have partnered with the union since its earliest days: Bill Sheffield of Met-Con, Inc., Wade Ivey of Ivey’s Steel Erectors, and the late Phillip “Phil” Coxwell of Coastal Steel Erectors.
“They gave me a $350,000 check out of their own bank account and said, ‘Here, start,’” Business Manager Bobby Knost told News 6.
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Knost said that was back in 2023. Coxwell has since passed away, but Ivey and Sheffield were there for the groundbreaking, along with Coxwell’s grandson. They also signed what will be the final beam put onto the new building.
“When we get it built, we will be able to process a whole lot more people,” Knost said.
The facility is expected to train over 200 apprentices and hundreds of journeymen and women each year. That’s critical, Knost said, because finding qualified workers is getting harder.
“It’s a big issue. It’s a big issue all over the country, too. It’s not just Florida, you know,” he said.
According to Associated Builders and Contractors, there were almost 250,000 construction job openings in July. Knost said he could give work to an “unlimited” number of ironworkers if they were available.
“I grow it in stacks. So I get the people and get the work. Get the people, get the work, you know?” he said.
Local 808’s members have worked on major projects across eight counties in Central Florida including the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, facilities for NASA’s Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, Patrick Space Force Base and, more recently, projects for SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance. Theme park rides and attractions are also a steady part of the workload, including at Universal’s Epic Universe.
Knost said his biggest recruiting challenge is awareness.
A recent Harris Poll found that nine in 10 people don’t realize how well-paying iron work can be.
“We have guys well over $100,000,” Knost said. “Average is $75,000-$80,000.”
Apprentices also avoid a common financial burden.
“There’s no student loans, nothing,” Knost said. “And they’re getting paid the whole time.”
The work, he added, isn’t going anywhere, and it’s not the kind of career being replaced by artificial intelligence.
News 6 asked, “How many ironworkers have been replaced by AI so far?”
Knost answered, “Zero.”
Local, national impact
Orlando District 2 City Commissioner Tony Ortiz attended the groundbreaking and praised the union’s role in the community.
“Every day, we strive to do better, not just for ourselves, but for those around us,” the commissioner said. “The work of unions exemplifies this collective effort, and we create lasting change through organizing, empowering, and delivering.”
Florida Rep. Darren Soto, D-District 9, also stopped by to learn about the new facility and to discuss the challenges unions face.
“We will continue to fight for major jobs projects, collective bargaining, and apprenticeships,” Soto said.