Resources

For students and families looking at the trades, and for anyone who wants to serve the way Mason did. Every link was checked in October 2026. Deadlines change, so check each site for current dates.

Apprenticeships and unions

Paid training: you earn while you learn, and finish with a trade and no student debt.

Steamfitters Local 638 apprenticeship
Where Mason trained. A five-year paid apprenticeship, one class day every two weeks.
Steamfitters Industry Training Center
The Local 638 training center in Long Island City: address, phone and who to ask.
IBEW Local 25 apprenticeship
How Long Island union electricians train, through the Nassau and Suffolk committee.
Electrical apprenticeship office (JATC), Hauppauge
Application information for the Nassau and Suffolk electrical apprenticeship.
North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund
A four-year carpentry apprenticeship, with info sessions and an online application.
New York State apprenticeship openings
Current union and employer openings with open and close dates. You can filter to Long Island.
How apprenticeships work in New York
The state's plain guide to registered apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship.gov
Search registered apprenticeships anywhere in the country.

Trade schools and programs

Start in high school, or after graduation, close to home.

Wilson Tech (Western Suffolk BOCES)
Half-day programs for juniors and seniors: carpentry, electrical, HVAC and plumbing, welding. Ask your guidance counselor.
Suffolk County Community College: HVAC and Refrigeration
A hands-on HVAC degree or certificate at the Brentwood campus. The trade Mason grew up around.
Suffolk County Community College: Construction Technology
A construction degree, plus a drafting certificate.
Suffolk County Community College: Fire Protection
A degree for students drawn to the fire service and life safety.

More scholarships for the trades

Mason's scholarship is one of several. Apply to as many as you can.

mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship
A national scholarship for trade programs of two years or less.
Horatio Alger Career and Technical Scholarship
Up to $2,500 for trade or community college students, based on need.
PHCC Educational Foundation
Scholarships for plumbing and HVAC apprentices and trade school students.
SkillsUSA scholarships
Scholarships for SkillsUSA members. Ask if your school has a chapter.

Serve like Mason did

Mason started as a junior at the Huntington Manor Fire Department and served six years as a firefighter.

Huntington Manor Fire Department
Mason's firehouse: its history, its people and how to reach them.
Volunteer firefighting in New York
Find a department near you that is looking for volunteers.
Junior firefighter and Explorer programs
How teens can start in the fire service, the way Mason did.

From Phil's experience

35 years in HVAC. The people and programs he would point a student to.

Phil's picks
Unions, shops and programs Phil recommends, in his words.

Keep his story going. Pass it on.

Every gift helps one more student into the trades.

Mason's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so your gift is tax deductible, and you get a receipt by email.

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