Contractor Commits to Industry Training Contributions

November 21, 2008 – Industrial Specialty Contractors, Baton Rouge, La., has agreed to contribute funds for workforce development and recruitment initiatives by signing a National Training Service Agreement with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). Industrial Specialty Contractors is the first company to contribute an extra cent toward industry recruitment and image enhancement initiatives for the industry, according to the NCCER.

“With nearly 2 million workers needed over the next seven years, the broad availability of training and our ability to fund an industrywide recruitment and image campaign is essential to the long-term growth of the industry,” said Don Whyte, NCCER president.

 

Industrial Specialty Contractors will contribute a total of 16 cents per craft-labor hour into a workforce development training fund. Thirteen cents of the contribution will be placed into an insured, interest-bearing corporate training account, managed by NCCER, to give independent third-party verification that funds address the company's training initiatives. Two cents is contributed to NCCER for the development of new training curricula and assessments, program revisions, and to support workforce development services for the industry. The remaining one cent of the contribution will be added to a separate account for restricted use toward industry recruitment and image enhancement initiatives, such as NCCER's Build Your Future campaign.

 

“NCCER brings a higher level of credibility to our employees and the industry,” said Jerry Rispone, Industrial Specialty Contractors president. "Signing the National Training Service Agreement allows us to demonstrate a training commitment to our employees, our customers, and the industry."

 

The National Training Service Agreement is an industry-driven funding mechanism that uses cents-per-hour funds to provide quality training to the construction workforce.

 

NCCER was created by the construction industry to develop standardized curriculum with portable credentials and to help address the skilled construction workforce shortage. NCCER is recognized by the industry as the training, assessment, certification, and career development standard for the construction, maintenance, and pipeline craft professional.