2014 National Craft Championship Winners Announced
On April 30, more than 150 craft trainees and apprentices were welcomed to Birmingham, Ala. as the 2014 National Craft Championships were beginning. They spent two days competing—in both a written exam, and a six-hour hands-on project that tested their skills and put them head-to-head with the best in the nation. After hours of preparation […]
Maintaining American Competitiveness Through Improved Workforce Training: A Guest Post By Congressman Tom Rice (R-SC)
In order to maintain American competitiveness, we must ensure that our 21st Century workforce includes the highly skilled and trained craftsmen and professionals that our economy requires. Over the years, federal workforce training and workplace development programs have been added and existing programs have been modified in order to address spikes in unemployment. While these […]
Construction Charter School Creates Pathway to Apprenticeships
The following is an excerpt from an article by Joanna Masterson, From Classroom to Career: Ohio Construction Academy Offers High School Curriculum And Apprenticeship Instruction, appearing in the April 2014 issue of Construction Executive. When Bart Hacker was president of the Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the first thing he did was meet with member […]
Turning to the Trades: Today’s Industry
This is the second of a three-part series on the career opportunities in the construction industry written by David Schell, an Account Manager for H.B. McClure Company in Pennsylvania, a member company of Associated Builders and Contractors Keystone Chapter. When I look back at my high school years, I don’t remember anyone telling me […]
Turning to the Trades: Perseverance Pays Off
By David Schell After graduating high school in 2000, I did the same as many of my peers and enrolled at the local community college. I had no idea what I wanted to do, but the advisor told me to enroll in liberal arts. After about two years, I decided to switch to nursing, but […]
Construction Industry Pledges to Hire 100,000 Veterans
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Feb. 10 joined construction industry leaders from more than 100 companies in support of their pledge to employ 100,000 veterans in the next five years—a commitment that was made during the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Veterans’ Employment in Construction National Symposium. “ABC believes in supporting our troops by providing […]
Success in the New Economy: Technical Skills vs. College
This video comes to us from Citrus College and beautifully lays out the real facts and stark realities that many students don’t consider when making decisions about post-secondary education. Because student’s rarely make a decision this important in a vacuum, this video should be required viewing for parents, educators and counselors, as well. Help us […]
One Quarter of Americans Have an Industry Credential–and They Earn More Money
According to the first federal survey report ever released on non-degree credentials, 25% of working Americans hold an “alternative” post-secondary credential (professional certifications, licenses and educational certificates). While alternative credentials were more common among adults who held an associate’s degree or higher, more than 11 million adults with a high school degree or less held a professional […]
Students get a Running Start on Choosing a Career
The construction industry is constantly fighting to find their way into high schools across the country to show students the opportunities that a career in construction holds and build the skilled workforce needed to keep up with the demand of labor. When ABC New Mexico Chapter’s Carla Kugler began her job as Education & Safety […]
Construction Training Programs Could Get Federal Tuition Assistance
For students interested post-secondary education, money often weighs heavily in the decision. While federal tuition assistance programs provide support for students interested in pursuing 4-year degree programs at the post-secondary level, they do not offer the same for industry-recognized credentials. It’s no wonder career-specific training programs have no chance at competing. But if a new bill introduced […]
