HAGÅTÑA, Guam — Two new graduates of Guam’s Registered Apprenticeship program were recognized this month as the Guam Contractors Association, in partnership with the Guam Department of Labor, highlighted their completion of skilled trade training in HVAC and heavy equipment mechanics.
The recognition took place during a GCA monthly membership meeting at the Westin Resort Guam that honoredEvan M. Martinez, who completed a Registered Apprenticeship in Heavy Construction Equipment Mechanic, and Jeffrey Theodore A. Tomeldan, who completed a Registered Apprenticeship in HVAC.
Martinez, who works for Hawaiian Rock Products, said he learned about the program through work and applied right away, adding that the apprenticeship helped his career and personal growth by building skills to advance in his trade.
Tomeldan said he did not begin his career in HVAC and started as a fleet maintenance mechanic at JWS Guam, but said his employer saw his aptitude and offered him an opportunity to take up the HVAC apprenticeship. He said that after about two years, he went from knowing “almost nothing” about HVAC to becoming a fully qualified technician.
GDOL Director David Dell’Isola said the graduates show the program works and that employers are seeking local talent, emphasizing that apprentices earn pay while learning skilled trades and finish with credentials that put them in high demand.
