Sheet Metal Workers Local 45 Training Program

We're honored to once again be recognized by the Des Moines Business Record in its 2026 Best of Des Moines Awards!

This year, we were named runner-up in:
⚙️ Best Mechanical Contractor
⚡️ Best Electrical Contractor
💨 Best HVAC Contractor

These recognitions reflect the hard work of our incredible teams and the trust of our clients and partners. Thank you for your support. We're proud to serve the Des Moines community!

Congratulations to Chad on this well-deserved recognition! 👏

We’re proud to see Chad recognized among the best instructors in the nation. His dedication, knowledge, and commitment to developing the next generation of skilled tradespeople have made a lasting impact.

Congratulations, Chad, on an outstanding honor! Well deserved!

And last but not least… Top of Class Award. 🏆

This individual has truly set the bar when it comes to achievement, dedication, and excellence. Their hard work and commitment have not gone unnoticed, and they’ve shown what it looks like to consistently strive for a higher standard.

Congratulations on a well-deserved Top of Class Award! Keep setting the bar high and leading by example. 👏

At the union meeting, we had the opportunity to recognize some of our apprentices with our Top of Class Awards.

These awards go to the students who are putting in the work — showing up, learning the trade, sharpening their skills, and holding themselves to a high standard.

There’s no shortcut to becoming good at this trade. It takes time, hard work, and a willingness to learn from the people around you.

We’re proud to recognize these apprentices for the effort they’re putting in and the future they’re building for themselves.

Congratulations to all of our Top of Class recipients! Keep after it. The work you put in today is what makes you better tomorrow. 💪

Congratulations to Central Campus welding instructor Chad Donahue.

🔥 BIG NEWS for Central Campus! 🔥

Congratulations to welding instructor Chad Donahue — named a finalist for the 2026 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, a national award honoring outstanding skilled trades educators with $2 million in cash prizes awarded annually!

A proud East High School - Des Moines grad, Chad brings 20+ years of real-world industry experience to his classroom — from journeyman sheet metal worker to welding shop foreman — before coming back to DMPS to teach. And teaching here isn't just a job for him, it's personal: he came back to give kids like himself the same shot he was given.

The results speak for themselves. Chad's students have gone on to win state and national welding titles, and he was a driving force behind the welding bay expansion that grew program capacity by a third — and he hired his CURRENT students to build it with him. 💪

In his words: "A lot of kids feel like the life they've been given is the only option. It takes someone who cares to show them they can be more than their circumstances. That's the best part about this vocation — it takes students from all walks of life, and now they're in charge of multimillion-dollar projects."

Winners of the 2026 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize will be announced this fall. We're cheering you on, Chad! 🛠️🎉

Harbor Freight Tools for Schools
Harbor Freight
Des Moines Public Schools