David Joachim, a 4th year apprentice, has been working in the unionized construction industry since he graduated from Construction Skills in 2006.

David grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and attended The School of Cooperative Technical Education (Co-op Tech) because he enjoyed working with his hands and was interested in learning a trade.
David decided to pursue a career in the unionized construction industry after he found out about Construction Skills through Co-op Tech. Although receiving admission to the Construction Skills program was very competitive, David had the grades required. Following his admission into Construction Skills, David was referred for an interview at the tile setters and was offered the opportunity to become an apprentice. 

A typical work day starts at 6:45 am. Usually, David says he shows up to the shanty first thing in the morning and starts his day’s work. Even though skateboarding for 9 years has taken a toll on his body, he says the trades have as well because the work itself is quite a workout.

Although putting the work together is fun for David, he enjoys looking at the finished product most. David says as long as you’re doing the right thing, you’ll be fine. David was never afraid of heights, so that has been important to his success as well.

Since becoming a union member, David says his life has changed a great deal. He believes becoming a union member has matured him as a person, taught him responsibility and the value of hard work. David says that he can no longer sleep past ten and if he hadn’t gone through Construction Skills he would “probably be working at a skate shop somewhere or stuck in an office.”

In the future, David hopes to keep working, save money, buy a home, a car and have something to retire with. He also hopes to get the opportunity to work on major buildings such as the Bank of America tower on 6th Avenue, the second tallest building in the city. David would also like to work on the first building that operates 100% green. David is so proud of how far his skills have come over the years of training, “It’s far better than I thought I could do to tell you the truth”.  David is very close to becoming a journeyperson. He is grateful for the support from his family. They’re so proud that he’s found something he enjoys doing and plans to make a career out of.