With 100 new apprentices enrolling this fall, NEFBA’s Apprenticeship Program is enjoying a revival of the more than 40-year-old construction crafts training arm of the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
“The construction and general economy woes that struck the industry seem to be in remission,” said Keith Ward, NEFBA’S training vice president and president of May Construction. “Permits are on the rise, and our builders are telling us their biggest challenge is finding and hiring trained skilled construction workers. And, that is good news for our training program.”
With the growth of the program, the need for classroom space became an issue. Community and state colleges and high schools in the area have provided space over the years.
“When our need for space outpaced the ability of these institutions to provide accommodations, we began looking for other resources,” Ward said. “I’m pleased to announce that a not-for-profit institution with goals similar to our own has partnered with us beginning this fall. Keiser University’s Southpoint campus will be our new apprentice training facility.”
Keiser has a reputation for training students for in-demand jobs and equipping its students for work and life. The Apprenticeship program shares that focus and goal.
Apprentices in the electrical, heating and air-conditioning and plumbing programs will begin classes at the Keiser campus on Aug. 31. Carpentry classes begin Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 in Clay County at Ridgeview High School and Middleburg High School.
Classroom activities will be augmented by laboratory experiences at the NEFBA office building on Century 21 Drive.
“We are excited about this new opportunity,” Ward said. “We think the large classrooms and the accessibility of the campus just off Butler Boulevard will benefit the students and the instructors. We thank Keiser for making this space available to us and look forward to this next chapter in the program’s long history of serving the industry.”
For more than 40 years, the Northeast Florida Builders Association Apprenticeship Program has trained qualified applicants on a career path in the construction industry. Upon completion of the four-year, earn-while-you-learn program, an apprentice graduate is skilled in a construction trade as a carpenter, electrician, plumber or heating and air-conditioning technician. Participating NEFBA member employers pay apprentice tuition and salary.
To learn more about NEFBA’s Apprenticeship Program, call 421-0296.