Monday that dream came true with the opening of the Vermont Construction Academy.

Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of working alongside so many incredible people, all who came together with a common vision. Now, as we begin enrollment for VCA’s Carpentry Boot Camp and Commercial Carpentry Apprenticeship, I am so excited to see those efforts come to fruition. Finally, we have a resource to provide post-high school hands-on training and certification to those interested in the trades. At the same time, this effort will help combat one of the biggest issues in this industry – the skilled labor shortage.

To my partners in crime, Ryan Ahern at ReArch Construction and Matt Musgrave at ABC NH/VT, thank you for bringing your insight and enthusiasm to this project every day. While the foundational work is now complete, I am proud to continue to lend my expertise on the VCA Board.

To all the young people out there who haven’t considered construction or don’t know how to get started, VCA might be the right fit for you! I am so excited to see what the future holds.

Photos: Top – Ryan Ahern and Martin Pigeon speak at the opening of the Vermont Construction Academy; Bottom – Governor Phil Scott addresses the crowd.

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Over the course of the next year, these construction trade professionals will participate in a combination of 316 hours of in-person classroom instruction and an additional 2,000 hours of on-the-job training in carpentry specialties such as floor and wall systems, framing and drywall, building envelope systems, roof framing, trim and cabinetry. The program also includes basic fundamentals such as financial management, material handling and field safety.

At the conclusion of the program, all apprentices will receive a nationally recognized credential and additional skills to advance their careers.

This is such an incredible opportunity. I’m also honored to work with ABC, Vermont Department of Labor, ReSOURCE and our fellow construction partner, ReArch, to bring this program to life. We are so fortunate to have four of PC’s trade professionals enrolled in this next session and I know that, upon completion, they will be armed with additional skills and knowledge to help them grow throughout their career in construction.

Watch a recent news story highlighting this program.

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The Apprenticeship Program – which is a collaborative effort between Vermont construction companies, ABC NH/VT, Vermont Talent Pipeline, Vermont Department of Labor and ReSOURCE – allows construction trade professionals to earn classroom and on-the-job training in carpentry specialties as well as basic construction fundamentals.

Thank you to all of the participants for your engagement and enthusiasm!

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With the provided lumber and blueprints in hand, the participants had 4.5 hours to build a structure meeting the specifications. As judges, we critiqued all components of the process – from safety and organization to tool handling, precision and timely completion. In addition, each participant had to complete a written portion of the contest.

Seeing our young successors performing at this level was very impressive and gave me hope for the future of the construction industry. The winner, which will be announced at a special event this week, will go on to represent Vermont this June in the National SkillsUSA Competition in Atlanta, Georgia.

I’d like to give a huge shout-out to the tech school students who showed off such great work as well as the AGC and instructors for their support of such an incredible event.

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A new face joined our crew in Vermont this week. Andrew Fiske, a 17-year-old co-operative student from Northwest Career & Technical Center, will spend the next six months working with and learning from our talented crews in Vermont. During this time, he will split his days, starting out in the classroom at the Tech Center and then heading to the jobsite for hands-on, real-world construction experience.

Andrew is currently completing the Center’s Building Trades program of studies and expects to graduate from the two-year program this June.

We are excited to lend a hand to mentor up-and-coming trades entering our industry. Programs like this are so critical to address the increasing shortage of construction trade professionals and enhance career pathways in this industry. We are so excited to support Andrew and his drive to enter a career in construction with tools and hands-on knowledge already under his belt. There’s nothing better than that!

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Vermont’s very first Commercial Carpentry Apprenticeship is underway, and PC is proud to have three of the seats filled with members of the PC team. Over the course of the next year and a half, these construction trade professionals will earn 310 hours of instruction and 3,000 hours of on-the-job training in carpentry specialties such as floor and wall systems, framing and drywall, building envelop systems, roof framing, trim and cabinetry. The program also includes basic fundamentals including construction math, drawings, material handling and field safety. At the conclusion of the program, all apprentices will receive a nationally recognized credential and additional skills to advance their careers.

The program – which is a collaborative effort between Vermont construction companies, ABC NH/VT, Vermont Talent Pipeline, Vermont Department of Labor and ReSOURCE – will provide a high-quality career pathway for Vermont’s construction tradespeople.

I am so excited about this opportunity for PC and all contractors in Vermont. This new program provides so many opportunities to provide learning opportunities for our dedicated craft while advancing careers in the industry. I’m looking forward to congratulating PC’s first class of apprentices upon completion!

Photo: PC’s carpentry apprentices (center to right) pose with their apprentice program instructors.

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