Twelve members of New Jersey’s first Pathways to Apprenticeship (P2A) class are presently working to complete LIUNA’s 80-hour General Construction Course, the introductory safety and skills training required of all new apprentices before being dispatched to work for the union’s signatory employers. All training is offered by ANSI-accredited instructors at LIUNA’s Monroe Township-based facility. As always, training is offered to members free-of-charge through the union’s Construction Craft Laborers Training and Apprenticeship Fund of New Jersey and Delaware (CCLTAF NJ/DE), the joint labor-management fund of LIUNA in New Jersey.

To follow are remarks on apprenticeship training, P2A, LIUNA, and the opportunities available to, and expectations of, the 12 graduates of New Jersey’s Pathway to Apprenticeship:

Raymond M. Pocino, LIUNA Vice President & Eastern Regional Manager:

“LIUNA provides the construction industry’s most diverse and versatile workforce. We work on everything from the largest building projects to upgrades and maintenance of a neighborhood’s service lines.  Union Laborers are employed on New Jersey’s most ambitious renewable energy projects, transportation programs, and environmental remediation projects. The work of growing skills and creating new opportunities may start with P2A but for Union Laborers, it never ends.”

Wayne Richardson, NJ P2A Director & Laborers Local 55 President:

“The progress of our first P2A class is encouraging and though their P2A journey may be drawing to a close, their careers in the construction industry are just beginning. Construction is a competitive industry, performed in dangerous environments. Through our apprenticeship program, we work to provide men and women with the world-class safety and skills training needed so that they and their employers can succeed.”

Joseph DeMarco, Jr., NJ Construction Craft Laborers Apprenticeship Program (CCLAP) Director:

“The construction and utilities industries account for more than 170,000 good paying jobs in New Jersey and LIUNA’s federally registered apprenticeship program helps build a skilled and job-ready workforce for employers, while also providing a pathway to a successful career for our members.”

Donald Howard, CCLTAF NJ/DE Director:

“Our diverse membership comes from all walks of life and every part of New Jersey and is unified in their belief in unionism and their responsibility and commitment to support each other.  Here at the Training Center, they can safely learn the skills they need to stay competitive and employable. And, because it’s negotiated through our collective bargaining agreements, all of this accredited and certified training is provided to our members completely free of charge.”

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NJ P2A is a non-profit organization committed to helping individuals from underrepresented communities gain admittance into the various registered building trades apprenticeship programs. NJ P2A’s intensive five-week training prepares participants for the union application process. They receive prepatory instruction for the program’s work keys assessment in math and reading comprehension. NJ P2A instruction also covers the personal and professional traits that propel people toward a successful career in the union construction industry.