PERSPECTIVE
By Tom Underhill
Clearing a Path to Training for Careers in Construction
T
oday, more than 6,000 training and assessment locations are accredited through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). More technical schools and community colleges join that group every year, and their numbers must increase if our country is to grow and advance our construction industry workforce. The path to careers in the United States in the last 50-60 years has been structured around proceeding from high Panel Discussion: school to college. But today, only about a Workforce Development is third of our jobs require a college degree. a Team Effort Construction is one of those markets. Friday, April 3, 2020 at 10:45 am That’s not to say people don’t need trainIn today’s market, successful workforce ing. But the route to get that training development must take on the roles of is often unclear to students and their recruiting, training, retaining, and often parents, and so they default to heading cross-training employees. Doing so requires off to college. that employers and industry understand the Meanwhile, industry demand for creneeds of education and vice versa. dentialed craft workers is off the charts. This panel discussion, moderated by Educators serious about meeting the Tracy Bennett, SEAA’s Managing Editor needs of the market have to shift their of Connector and marketing consultant, curriculum to programs that turn out stuincludes experts representing technical dents with the right skills. The resources education, craft training, curriculum available through NCCER accreditation development, and apprenticeship. allows community colleges and technical schools to prepare potential craft proPanelists fessionals for the career opportunities Richard Gordon, Executive Director of available in construction. CTE, and Chadwick Vail, Work-Based Learning Partnerships, Charleston County School District Tim Eldridge, President, Educational Services Unlimited, and SEAA’s Craft Training and Assessment Administrator John Garrison, Founder Ironworker Skills Institute, and former President of Garrison Steel Nick Morgan, President, Adaptive Construction Solutions
Pointing the way
Defining a structured career path through technical training, apprenticeship, project management and supervision is a must for construction to solve its workforce shortage. A key element in doing so successfully means partnering with our education system. As an NCCER accredited training sponsor, SEAA has decided to expand its relationship with technical and community colleges in order to bring NCCER accredited testing for craft professions to more students. This allows colleges to become members of SEAA, giving them access to the SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Craft Tom Underhill is the Executive Director of the Steel Erectors Association of America. Contact him at tomunderhill@seaa.net.
10 | THE STEEL ERECTORS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
Training program, and other NCCER craft curriculum and assessments. In April, one of the education sessions at SEAA’s 48th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Charleston, S.C., is a panel discussion that brings industry and educators together. Experts representing technical education, craft training, curriculum development, and apprenticeship will share ideas on how these two groups can work together to facilitate individuals along a career path to construction. In addition, SEAA will offer one-day complimentary registration for CTE professionals to attend, in hopes of expanding the dialog. For information, contact the SEAA office. There are few other comparable options to NCCER’s standardized construction and maintenance curricula, which also includes assessments and portable credentials. Unions offer training, but only to union members. Large corporations may have sophisticated training programs, but they train internally so they’re not out to share their programs with the industry. Technical schools and community colleges accredited by NCCER can help meet regional employer needs by preparing students for success in a variety of craft trade jobs. One of the greatest benefits of having NCCER accreditation is a technical school’s ability to offer industry-recognized credentials. Employers and jobsite owners are increasingly seeking verification of skills. Individuals who have earned NCCER credentials are listed in NCCER’s Registry System. Records are updated and maintained for craft professionals throughout their career in a secure database. As construction employers are required to make sure their employees are qualified for the work being performed, qualifications and certifications are documentation that demonstrates employee knowledge and abilities, especially when the certification is backed by an organization such as NCCER. If a young person chooses a career as a craft professional, enrolling in an NCCER-accredited community college or technical school is the best route available toward credentialing right now. Students who complete this level of training know what is required to be successful for a long career in a craft trade, and are better prepared for these jobs. Simply put, the level of sophistication and broad reach that NCCER accreditation offers a local educational institution is unmatched. NCCER accreditation raises educational institutions to a higher standard of instruction which improves the quality of the craft trade workforce locally, regionally, and nationally.
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