NEFBA Apprenticeship Program

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM  UPDATE  Providing the construction industry with skilled carpenters, electricians, plumbers and heating and air-conditioning technicians for more than 40 years . This newsletter is brought to you courtesy of Thomas May Construction.  April 2014 From the Board Apprenticeship has a time-honored history of training individuals in all manner of skilled crafts. I was recruited from a carpentry class at Orange Park High School by Haskell, and my 33-year career path with the company has led me from being a carpenter's helper through the apprentice program and ultimately to my present position as Vice President of Construction Support. I can see no better way for a company to grow its own talent than through NEFBA's Apprenticeship Program. We have some 850 employees at Haskell, and every person is a big deal. As employers we have an obligation to develop each one to his or her fullest potential. We find the talent, recruit and then train. The NEFBA Apprenticeship Program provides that training component for us. The program requires a minimum investment from us, which we consider an investment in our employees. The NEFBA Apprenticeship Program creates craft professionals who are well-equipped for the rest of their lives. Whether they prefer the hands-on practice of their chosen trade or want to move into supervisory and management positions, they have a skilled trade that no one can take away. Personally, I really love the business of construction, and pursued my education eventually to obtain a master's degree in business. I also love being a carpenter. Becoming a craft professional-carpenter, plumber, electrician or heating and air-conditioning technician-is a noble life choice. It's a source of pride to me to have come up through the construction ranks and now to be in a position to be part of the apprenticeship process that trains future craft professionals. Employers who make an investment in an apprentice add value to that person's life, to the community, the economy and to their own company. It is the smart thing to do all the way around. Boyd Worsham Vice President Construction Support Haskell Note: Congratulations Boyd on your recent appointment to the State Apprenticeship Advisory Council. Interested in enrolling your employees in the Apprenticeship Program? Applications Accepted Every Monday at 7:00 pm in April and June. Contact Penelope Geismar, Training Director at (904) 421-0296 or e-mail pgeismar@nefba.com  On the Job... Eric Touchton President, Touchton Plumbing       Eric Touchton graduated from the NEFBA Apprenticeship Program in 1983. Today he is president of Touchton Plumbing and a strong proponent of the program. He shared with us why he values the program so highly. Question: Why did you choose the NEFBA Apprenticeship Program to launch your career? Answer: When I graduated from high school, the opportunity to earn a good salary and go to school evenings was presented to me. Even as a teenager, I knew that was a good deal. The salary was a big attraction to me plus being able to get the training I would need. Q: What do you see as the most important benefit of the program? A: For me, when I started in the program, it was the earn-while-you-learn advantage. Schooling was free, except for text books. When I graduated, I wasn't burdened with student loan debt. The beginning wage was good, and salary increases were built into the program. That was a huge advantage for me, and I believe it is still one of the best things about the program.  Q: What would you tell someone considering the program? A: I tell my new hires about the program and offer them the option to sign up. When they do, it shows me they have initiative and are motivated to move up in the company and in their careers. When I hire someone, I don't do it with the goal to hire a lifetime helper. I want to hire people who want to advance and become licensed plumbers and project managers.   Q: In what way do you think the Apprenticeship Program is relevant today? A: More than ever, the NEFBA Apprenticeship Program is relevant today. Plumbers are needed for the construction industry, and the demand for all the construction trades is on the rise. The program not only gives Apprentices experience and training but it incorporates many elements not generally covered in on-the-job training, such as new product information, safety and even project management skills. NEFBA APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM NAILS IT. Apprenticeship Program Chair Keith Ward (left) poses with Apprenticeship Nail Driving Finals Winner Dustin Smith of Baker County High School. Finals were held at the NEFBA Trade Expo on March 27.  High schools throughout the First Coast held elimination rounds and winners of these rounds were invited to hammer it out at the finals. Congratulations to NEFBA Fourth Year Carpentry Apprentice Robert Barnes (left) who joined Apprentice David Doerr of the Homebuilder Assocation of Spokane as one of two apprentices from throughout the United States selected to man the National Home Builders Association Nail Driving Booth at the Annual International Builders Show in Las Vegas. Apprenticeship Program  2013-2014  Executive Board Keith Ward Chairman Rick Harper Secretary HAR Committee Chair Brandon Warner Carpentry Committee Chair John Griffin Electrical Committee Chair Scott Wood Plumbing Committee Chair Board Members Janie Ade  Steve Auld  Kim DeBerry Rafeal Grundy Boyd Worsham  NEFBA Training Staff Penelope Geismar Thompson Taylor (904) 421-0296  2014 Apprenticeship Program Applications Accepted NEFBA Offices 103 Century 21 Drive, Suite 100 Jacksonville, FL 32216 Every Monday Night at 7:00 pm in  April and June 2013-2014 Apprenticeship Program Participating Employers CARPENTRY  Auld & White Constructors Barnes Construction Carlton Construction Thomas May Construction ELECTRICAL  ACE Electrical of North Florida Advanced Wiring Services All Service Electric Group Allstate Electrical Contractors American Electrical Contracting Baptist Medical Center Coastal Electric Company of Florida Crawford Electric DeBerry Electric E.F. Lea Electrical Hinson Electrical Contracting Kim's Electric Lighthouse Electrical Contractors Limbaugh Electrical Company Miles Electrical Contracting Military Construction Corp. Moore Electrical Contractors Munson and Bryan Electric Co. Nassau BOCC Owen Electric Company Radiant Electric Regency Electric Company Regional Electric Richard L. Oreair & Company T&M Electric Titan Electric Group United Electric Company W.W. Gay Fire Protection  HEATING & AIR  A/C Designs of St. Augustine Accu-Air Cooling Service Air Engineers Air McCall Air-Max Heating & Cooling Air Solutions Heating & Cooling AirMcCall  Baptist Medical Center Beaver Street Fisheries Bill Williams A/C & Heating Classic Services of Jax HWK Mechanical Maddenaire Ocean State Heating & A/C One Touch Heating & Cooling Peacock Electric/Heating & Cooling Rix Mechanical Source Refrigeration & HVAC Thermodyne Services Tropic Aire of North Florida Tropic Heating & Air   Conditioning TWC Services PLUMBING  B&G Plumbing Baptist Medical Center C.W. Wood Plumbing McKendree's Plumbing & Heating North Florida Plumbing Pat's Plumbing Company Touchton Plumbing Contractors       Earn While You Learn...  NEFBA's Apprenticeship Program is an "earn while you learn" opportunity for qualified applicants. First year apprentices start at 50% of the established Journeyman's wage for their trade.    2013-14  Apprentice  starting wages    Carpentry   $8.79 HVAC $9.81 Electrical   $9.16 Plumbing   $9.11     Recommended 5% increases every 6 months Know Someone Interested in Becoming an Apprentice?   The Apprenticeship Program can be a rewarding career path for those already working in the industry and those looking to learn a skilled trade. An "earn-while-you-learn" program, Apprentices receive paid on-the-job work experience combined   with in-class technical instruction.     Tuition is employer paid.    Applications accepted at 7:00 pm every Monday evening in April and June 2014. Click here for more information 39th NEFBA APPRENTICE GRADUATION Tuesday, May 6, 2014 Large Auditorium, Building A Florida State College of Jacksonville 101 West State Street, Jacksonville, Florida Call 904-421-0296 for more information. About the NEFBA Apprenticeship Program... For more than 40 years, the Northeast Florida Builders Association Apprenticeship Program has trained qualified applicants on a career path in the construction industry. Upon completion of the four-year, earn-while-you-learn program, an Apprentice graduate is skilled in a construction trade as a carpenter, electrician, plumber or heating and air-conditioning technician. Participating NEFBA member employers pay Apprentice tuition and salary. To learn more about becoming an Apprentice or a Sponsoring Employer contact Penelope Geismar at pgeismar@nefba.com or Thompson Taylor at thompsontaylor@nefba.com or call (904) 421-0296.