CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Provided by the carpenter contractor trust

Union Carpenter Training: Shaping the Gold Standard in Construction Talent

When residents or visitors view Philadelphia’s skyline, they witness much more than the silhouettes of a grand city. That impressive skyline serves as a testament to the General Building Contractors Association and union carpenters who built the city.

The buildings also serve as a reaffirmation on the part of construction leaders — especially signatory contractors — in their confidence and reliance on union carpenters.

What knowledgeable signatory contractors understand is that the bedrock of talent that union carpenters bring to every project rests on a foundation of exceptional training, a focus on safety, and flexibility in adapting to current needs, even in a crisis.

Union carpenters and other trades recognize that no organization or institution is an island unto itself. Cultural awareness and a growing need to attract talent from the areas where they work led to the emergence of the Carpenters’ Apprenticeship Ready Program (CARP). Its mission was clear: Recruit the next generation of workers from Philadelphia.

CARP is a nine-week pre-apprenticeship program that serves as a bridge to a community’s needs and a path to discovering its undiscovered talent. The program exposes candidates to the following trades: carpentry, floor laying, millwright and cabinetmaking. Graduates of the program immediately enter the official apprenticeship program.

“The CARP program is where the needs of the construction industry dovetail perfectly with the exposure to opportunity and the values of our communities,” said Angela Hendrix, director, Training & Workforce Development at General Building Contractors Association. “Developers and contractors are always searching for the most qualified, reliable, and, yes, creative craftspeople they can find. Graduates of CARP have demonstrated a willingness to overcome obstacles, a willingness to learn and to apply their fledgling skills to a satisfying career.”

The apprentice program and CARP “prepare these individuals for what’s ahead of them: a career,” said Michael Jackson, vice president of operations, Philadelphia D &M. “They learn what’s required of them to survive in the trades and to thrive in the trades. And it [the training] gives them that opportunity.”

For more information, visit http://gbca.com/services/workforce-development/.