Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter (ABC SEPA) held the official grand opening of its new Apprenticeship and Craft Training Center located in Kulpsville, Pa., on April 4, 2008. This new, 13,400-sq.-ft. facility will serve as an educational training center for more than 300 students annually in the fields of carpentry, electrical, electronic systems technicians, masonry, plumbing, HVAC, sheet metal, roofing and concrete finishing.

“A skilled construction workforce in the Greater Philadelphia region is in high demand,” said Bob Herbein, 2008 ABC chairman and senior vice president corporate services at Allan A. Myers.

“With almost 12,000 more construction jobs expected to be added in our area in the next five years and an aging workforce, new trainees are needed now more than ever. ABC is committed to quality training programs that produce a safe and efficient workforce. It is my goal to increase awareness of this need and promote the necessity of higher education in all construction trades.”

The new ABC Apprenticeship and Craft Training Center will combine on-the-job (contextual) training with related classroom (conceptual) theory and lab work and offer 100 percent daytime training. ABC SEPA’s program is both state and federally approved to offer nationally recognized “Journeyman’s” credentials. All classes are National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certified and comply with both state and federal apprenticeship curriculum requirements.

The new facility, located at 1500 Gehman Road, Kulpsville, Pa., has six classrooms for theory and eight workshops. Each trade has access to individual laboratory facilities.

Also included at the facility are a cafeteria, conference rooms and offices for the center’s personnel. The facility has enabled ABC SEPA to more than double its annual training enrollment from last year.

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