News

If you haven’t been to one of the training centers in New England or New York lately, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Modernization of facilities and refocusing curriculum has taken the industry’s best training programs to another level.

For starters, members can access classroom and workshop training in several places where there’s either never been any or where it’s been sparse. Training centers in Albany, Syracuse, Long Island and Rochester, New York, are all brand new or significantly renovated, while the facility in Yalesville, Connecticut, was completely overhauled and a brand-new building was purchased and is being renovated in Manchester, New Hampshire.

At the flagship training center in Millbury, Massachusetts, apprentices are taking advantage of a new concrete form climbing wall and a scaffold system that allows them to get more time training in conditions that closely replicate a jobsite.

Training for welding has also been increased significantly, with more than 120 welding booths available across the council and additional training being done in situations similar to what is found on jobsites.

“The industry has become so schedule-driven and so demanding, that the need for even first and second-year apprentices to produce is increasing,” says Tom Fischer, Director of the New England Carpenters Training Fund. “We want to make sure our apprentices are comfortable with what they’re seeing in the real world, so we’re doing whatever we can to get them as many reps as we can, doing exactly what they do on a jobsite.”

Carpenter production is also being increased by focusing apprentices on specific aspects of the trade where they’ve identified an aptitude.
“We’re still teaching every apprentice a full set of skills,” says NECTF Labor Chair Rich Pedi, “but we know that when apprentices are more productive and more successful early, they stick with the trade and have more success. Having them keep a tight focus early gives them confidence and keeps many of them more engaged…and working.”