The Construction Industry Advancement Program of New Jersey (CIAP of NJ) is moving ahead in 2000.
CIAP of New Jersey is a non-profit trusteeship established by the Associated General Contractors of NJ (AGC of NJ), NJ Asphalt Pavement Association (NJAPA), and the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association of NJ (UTCA) and to provide construction education, construction scholarships, construction research, improvement and standardization of public sector contracts and technical specifications, public relations and promotion for the New Jersey Construction Industry.
CIAP of NJ has substantially expanded its statewide programs for education, training, industry promotion and related public information and education programs. A strong economy and higher employment within the construction trades has fostered substantially increased contractor contributions allowing CIAP to restore its reserves, expand existing programs and fund new initiatives.
Scholarships
The Edward O. Davis Memorial Student Summer Employment Scholarship program has doubled. This program, introduced in 1985, provides scholarships and summer employment opportunities with a construction contractor.
A tuition stipend is awarded to civil engineering or construction engineering technology students commencing their junior or senior year in a baccalaureate program, who are employed during the summer in the construction industry. The scholarships, named in honor of a founding trustee of the CIAP, have expanded to provide nine awards of $2,500 each and an overall award winner in the amount of $3,000.
The candidates are from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Rowan University, Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Fairleigh Dickinson University and Drexel University. Students graduating from Middlesex County College, Mercer County Community College, Gloucester County College, Union County College, Essex County College or Ocean County College with an Associates Degree in Construction Technology who will enter a four year degree program also are eligible.
Commencing in 2000, the CIAP Education Committee is making 10 additional awards of tuition stipends of $1,000, named for Franklyn Grosso a founding trustee of CIAP, to qualified students not selected for the Edward O. Davis program but employed by New Jersey construction contractors for a minimum of 12 weeks.
All prospective high school juniors and seniors with career interests in the construction industry are eligible for these stipends which are in addition to a full competitive salary paid by employers. Recipients are selected largely on a “fully qualified” basis to foster careers in the construction industry and a high percentage of applicants receive stipends.
In addition, the Civil/Construction Engineering Technology scholarships have increased. In 1986, a program was established providing scholarships for students in Civil/Construction Engineering Technology at the Associate Degree level. In 1999, scholarships in the amount of $750 were awarded to second year students at Middlesex County College, Mercer County Community College, Gloucester County College, Union County College, Essex County College and Ocean County College. In 2000, CIAP plans to increase available scholarships to a maximum of seventeen for eligible students nominated by their respective colleges. These scholarships are named for Gus
Anselmi, a founding trustee of CIAP. Participating county and community colleges nominate students for these scholarships. One or more scholarships may be awarded annually at each school. Awards are generally made to construction technology students with an interest in a construction career pursuing a two-year Associate Degree program. This year eligibility has been extended to high school graduates who enter a two-year Associates Degree program at a participating college.
Seminars and Training
Recently, CIAP has conducted or jointly sponsored seminars and training including Environmental Excellence
on Construction Sites, Traffic Control Coordinator (TCC) training and a new ACI Certification for field construction personnel. The environmental seminar is a multi-agency effort to raise environmental awareness on all construction sites with the goal of raising environmental stewardship as with New Jersey’s highly successful Highway Work Zone Safety program.
Industry Projects and Programs
CIAP is funding a widening spectrum of projects to benefit the industry and the general public with improvement of New Jersey’s infrastructure as a significant priority. Typical of the array of CIAP contributions are significant financial support to the Road Improvement Program (TRIP), the New Jersey Alliance for Action Foundation, and a new Public Information and Education Program. Some projects funded include mapping project on construction project locations, expansion of construction safety services, Web site improvements, and a stormwater run-off manual for hot mix asphalt producers.
The New Jersey Quality Initiative (NJQI) has continued to expand its role in bringing quality to the full spectrum of multi-modal, multi-agency infrastructure construction programs. New initiatives of the NJQI Interagency Committee represent progress being made on partnerships with environmental agencies, uniformity of construction contract procedures, linked Web sites, safety and standardization in areas such as CADD/GIS. CIAP has added important industry input to the work of NJQI through committee representatives from key contractors, material suppliers and industry trade associations.
The Civil Engineering Technology Council (CETAC) has been re-activated and is providing insight into problems and opportunities related to recruiting young people for careers in construction. Comprised of professors representing the county colleges offering construction technology courses, the council meets quarterly to discuss curricula, marketing, financial assistance to students, internships and similar matters of mutual interest.
For more information, e-mail CIAP at [email protected].
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