By: Stephanie Larkin, VP of Education, Safety & Workforce Development
Whew. March was quite the whirlwind, with the National Craft Competition in San Antonio, Texas (congratulations to our competitors on their achievements!) followed quickly by the spring Construction Wars event. ABC Keystone welcomed more than 200 students and 40 plus educators to our facility for three days of hands-on learning. We were fortunate to receive great press coverage – both in print and TV – so if you haven’t seen it, please check out our social media where it is featured. The foundation of the event is an incredible group of volunteers that I can’t possibly thank enough. We truly have the best members in the country!
Pre-apprenticeship programming continues to gain popularity in our Chapter footprint. We recently welcomed students from schools that haven’t previously sent students to our program, and yet other schools have inquired about placing our program within their walls. We’re in our third full year of offering pre-apprenticeship classes at ABC Keystone and have reached the end of our Spring 2022 cohort. Seven students will graduate with 50 hours of training in communications, employability, blueprint reading, construction math, hand and power tools, rigging, materials handling, rough terrain forklift and a OSHA 10-hour construction credential. A summer class will take place throughout July, and applications are currently being accepted. The hard work of establishing our programs and partnerships is paying off, as we now see pre-apprenticeship graduates making successful transitions into registered apprenticeship.
Another summer offering is our All ‘bout Construction (ABC) Girls Camp, which we will hold June 13-16 at our facility. This is our second time hosting Girls Camp. Last year was a blast, and we expect another great week of learning, sharing, building projects, and visiting job sites. The four-day camp is free* and is limited to 20 girls ages 14-19, with priority given to Lancaster County students and first-time campers. Applications can be accepted online through April 29. Only a few spots remain, so please encourage the young females in your life to join us!
*This program is made possible through the support of the Lancaster County Workforce Development Board, the county’s leader and active partner in workforce development efforts. The total cost of the All ‘bout Construction Camp is $22,448.37 of which 62% is funded through a U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Grant. Priority will be given to first-time campers and residents of Lancaster County.
Posted April 25, 2022
