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The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC) marked a major milestone today with a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the $3.6 million expansion of its Syracuse training center. The newly expanded facility has tripled in size to accommodate the growing demand for skilled carpenters in Central New York.

The union has spent the last year redeveloping its 6,000 square foot facility into a space that now occupies 18,000 square feet in preparation for the development needs of the region, most notably the arrival of the Micron chip manufacturing hub, and the I-81 relocation.

“This expansion shows the seriousness of our union and our intent in this area, which is to meet the needs of a massive amount of work that’s about to start,” said James Mason, Local 277 Business Manager.

“We are investing in our future and the work coming up. We’ve got three times the training space we had a year ago. The concrete form climbing wall, the turbine and 10-ton overhead crane are great additions for our programs. We’ve got the only turbine to train on in the whole Northeast.”

The expanded facility will meet the needs of a rapidly growing regional construction industry that requires both traditional and modern skills, and will include instruction on preparing carpenters for the specific work of building “clean rooms” that are required for chip manufacturing. A 10-ton crane and turbine were also incorporated into the expansion. This will give members throughout NASRCC the opportunity to get hands-on training and practice more conveniently before traveling to the UBCs International Training Center in Las Vegas for license testing.

“Without the labor-management partnership, facilities like this don’t exist. It’s a remarkable relationship,” said Earl Hall, Executive Director, Construction Employers Association of Central New York and Trustee of NASCTF. “Employers in the market today who are signatory [to a union agreement], rely on the skill and expertise of the workforce to not only be safe but to be highly skilled. That’s critical to delivering an on-time, on-budget project for both private and public owners alike. Here in this facility, we can help them meet that need.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by local leaders who have played a role in fostering the region’s development. Among those present were Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, New York State Assemblymember Pam Hunter, and Salina Town Supervisor Nick Paro. NASRCC staff along with union instructors and members, also gathered to celebrate the official opening of the state-of-the-art hub for training and skills development.

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From advanced technology manufacturing facilities to solar farms, our members will play a vital role in building New York’s future. Want to be part of it? Learn more at nasrcc.org/joinny