Building the Future
Associated Builders and Contractors of New Jersey fosters opportunity and development.
For those looking to start a career in the construction industry, finding the right training, experience and resources can be the foundation for long-term success. Associated Builders and Contractors of New Jersey (ABC-NJ) is helping create those opportunities through its apprenticeship and workforce development programs, offering individuals a way to gain hands-on experience, in-person education and skills needed for the industry.
To find out more about the opportunities offered, South Jersey Biz spoke to Samantha DeAlmeida Roman, president and CEO.
What are the key benefits of enrolling in ABC New Jersey’s apprenticeship program, and how does it prepare individuals for a career in the construction industry?
We offer 26 U-registered apprenticeship trades. It’s kind of a one-stop shop for somebody that might be interested in a number of different trades. They can do that within our core classes so they get exposed to a variety and decide what they want to do.
The other benefit to this is it’s free. I can’t stress enough the importance of a quality free education and advancing young people without saddling them with a ton of debt. The opportunities that exist are really unique in that there is nothing cost-wise that the student has to incur. You are getting access to top-tier quality education and curriculums that many programs throughout the country utilize. We offer flexibility as well—our classroom learning can be virtual, while our hands-on learning is always in-person. We offer these flexible options for people who might not be available to get to a classroom setting a few nights a week after working all day. I think that’s what gives us an edge. After somebody has worked eight-to-10 hours and then they are driving an hour or two to get to another class—especially when they have families—it’s really difficult.
How has the combination of in-class and on-the-job training shaped individuals in the apprenticeship programs to ensure they are ready for the industry?
It’s integral. It’s very important that they have both, which is why all of our apprentices must be employed by one of our member companies and they must be working to get those on-the-job learning hours. Anything you learn in the classroom should be something a journeyman is also teaching you on a job site to reinforce. A lot of people who have worked in the trades for many years know how to do things on the job site, but they don’t always know the theory behind it. It’s giving our apprentices an edge by making them do both.
It is probably a very hard four-year period within their lives, especially when juggling families, commitments and work. However, they come out better for it because they’re better tradespeople.
How does ABC-NJ’s workforce development initiative contribute to improving safety standards on construction sites?
One thing we pride ourselves on is our safety program. We have a wonderful safety director. We do free safety audits on job sites for our member companies and they’re OSHA-level assessments to make sure that people are safe. At the end of the day, it is my responsibility to our apprentices to make sure that they go home every single day unharmed and back to their families. I take it very personally to make sure that workforce development and safety coincide together very closely.
What leadership or management programs does ABC-NJ offer to help professionals advance into supervisory roles?
We offer project management classes and all kinds of continuing education that individuals can enroll in within our member companies to gain that knowledge, expertise and certification to help them grow into the role that they want to ultimately advance to.
Associated Builders and Contractors
(856) 437-4130
