Message from the President-CEO
As I sit to write this article the election results are still not definitively known. What we do know is that PA will have Josh Shapiro as our next Governor. The State Senate will remain Republican. However, there is a good possibility the Statehouse will flip to the Democrats. On the National front, the Democrats will retain the Senate while the house, through leaning Republican, is still undecided.
Craft Competition, Careers in Construction, National Apprenticeship Week
Fall is always a busy time at ABC Keystone with the start of Apprenticeship classes in September, the annual Local Craft Competition, Careers in Construction Month in October and National Apprenticeship Week in November.
Message from the President-CEO
October is Nationally designated as “Careers in Construction Month.” Keystone traditionally highlights what we do for the industry and our members through all our marketing efforts. Therefore, I want to recap some of the exciting things that happened as well as the number of members that took advantage of the things we offer.
Off and Running…Apprenticeship Classes Begin
ABC Keystone was proud to welcome over 150 new apprentices and company reps to the New Student Orientation on September 7. I shared with the students the value of ABC and the importance of students and companies working together to ensure that all registered apprenticeship requirements are achieved. The two main components of registered apprenticeship are Related Technical Instruction (RTI) – requirement of 144 hours per year/level and submission of On-the-Job-Training Hours (OJT) of 2,000 hours per year. It is exciting to welcome new apprentices and several new companies to apprenticeship for the 2022-2023 school year.
Message from the President-CEO
Many times, I refer to ABC Keystone as the members’ association. The fact is that ABC Keystone is not only the members’ association, but it is a member-driven association. This was very evident by the participation in our recent strategic planning session. I want to thank the more than 50 members and staff who gave up a day and a half to review and update our 2022-2024 strategic plan.
Careers in Construction Month
October may be Careers in Construction Month, but at ABC Keystone, every month is Careers in Construction Month! With the consolidation of the ABC Central PA Chapter into ABC Keystone Chapter, our outreach efforts extend to 33 counties, nearly 25 career and technical schools, and more than 210 school districts. We’ve started the process of introducing ABC Keystone and its programs to career and technical centers first, and those conversations have yielded one new articulation agreement with Mifflin County Academy of Science & Technology (The Academy) in Lewistown and two potential agreements with both the Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center and the Central Pennsylvania Institute in Bellefonte. Every articulation agreement gives you, the members, access to young talent as these individuals pursue their careers and apprenticeships.
Local Apprentices Earn Opportunity to Compete in ABC National Craft Competition
(MANHEIM, Pa.) Three ABC Keystone apprentices received top scores at the Keystone Chapter’s Individual Local Craft Competition on Saturday, October 1, 2022, held at the Chapter’s state-of-the-art training facility in Manheim. This year, the competition also featured the Chapter’s first-ever Team Competition designed to demonstrate safety along with craft interdependency and teamwork; simulate working conditions where planning is critical to success; highlight individual leadership and workmanship skills as the project was assembled and completed; and work through problems as a team.
Message from the President-CEO
As we enter September, we usually think about finally reaching the home stretch for the year. However, here at ABC Keystone we start planning for the start of the new year ahead. Like most businesses, we have to think about the budget, but that is only one component. For our association, September becomes focused on strategic planning and making sure we elect our new Board members for 2023.
Message from the President-CEO
It is hard to believe that over half of 2022 has gone by. With this, ABC Keystone needs to look at how we are doing in terms of the strategic initiatives we set forth at the beginning of the year. The four areas we review are Political Influence, Continuous Growth & Value, Safety & Health, and Being the Leading Force in Workforce Development Education & Training.
ABC Keystone’s Local Apprenticeship Craft Competition
Free to Attend & Open to the Public! Bring Your Team Members, Friends & Family! Stop by the Chapter and cheer on the best of our fourth-year students as they compete against each other and the clock during a timed craft competition. Top-scorers earn an opportunity to move on to the 2023 ABC National Craft Competition in March 2023! NEW THIS YEAR: Team Competition! You won’t want to miss this opportunity to see our apprentices in action!
Message from the Chair: Celebrate the Apprenticeship Class of 2022!
It’s time to celebrate! How great it is to see individuals work hard, complete their training, and move on to the next stage of their lives. High school students are trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives after school. College grads are looking for their first job and dealing with the student debt they have amassed. And, craft professionals have completed their education and are moving into their careers fully trained.
Local Construction Industry Professionals Awarded Craft Professionals of the Year Awards from ABC Keystone
Manheim, Pa, May 20, 2022—ABC Keystone is pleased to announce 2022 Craft Professionals of the Year Awards have been presented to Edgar E. Espenshade Jr. (Elizabethtown), Carpentry, Wohlsen Construction Company (Lancaster) and Bryan Williams (Bird-in-Hand), Electrical, C Mechanical Services (Lancaster). The awards ceremony took place during ABC Keystone’s Apprenticeship Graduation held on May 18, 2022, at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster. Edgar and Bryan received eagle trophies and gift cards in celebration of their achievements.
