Today, I want to talk about the Construction Trades Training program here at EC3, an exciting workforce development initiative about to launch with its second cohort of students. But first, we need to start with some vocabulary and a brief refresher. What exactly are construction trades again?
As is often the case, the definition here is a house with many rooms (pardon the pun). Construction trades, broadly speaking, refer to skilled jobs involved in the building, renovation, and maintenance of structures such as homes, buildings, roads, and bridges. These trades typically require specialized training and hands-on work. Trades like carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry, and roofing are common examples along with painting, decorating, and HVAC installation and maintenance. These trades are essential to the construction industry and require a combination of technical skills, education, experience, and, often, formal apprenticeships. These are the hallmarks of workforce development initiatives.
Here at EC3, our Construction Trades Training program is a skill-oriented, hands-on training focused on building the skills of Erie County residents to get into a construction profession. We've seen the increased focus on infrastructure projects recently at the city, county, state, and national level, so this is certainly timely! We want to help train as many Erie County residents for these burgeoning opportunities as possible so that they can get out there and get to work. The result has been the development of a program that allows students to earn certifications in CCER CORE, OSHA 10, Ladder Safety & Fall Prevention, and Basic First Aid & CPR. We have run one successful cohort already, and our second cohort is about to begin.
What really makes this program particularly exciting is its accessibility: it is completely free to our students as a result of a state grant, and all materials, tools, and resources are provided without charge to participants. EC3 understands the barriers that often get in the way of starting to develop trade skills, and this initiative cuts them away—whether it be financial obstacles or the lack of access to proper training. We want to clear the barriers and fill these seats!
This is a program that balances class work with hands-on activity so that our students will not only learn theory but also be able to put their knowledge into practice. In addition, the objective is to prepare participants for entry-level job opportunities in the construction area or, if already working, to improve their existing skills and help them to advance in their careers.
Info sessions are held at EC3 so interested students can ask questions, talk to instructors, learn about the various certifications they will be able to obtain, and get started. These certifications are highly regarded within industry, making our graduates more competitive as they head out into the job market.
This program represents one of the main vehicles for developing Erie's workforce and placing residents into steady, high-paying jobs in the trades to meet regional demand. Now that EC3 is getting ready to launch its second cohort, it's time for you to claim your spot; please click here for more details or to attend an information session. We hope that you will join us in this next exciting endeavor!
Our community: your college.
