The Carpenters International Training Fund (CITF) and the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (EASRCC) are preparing to open their first dedicated diving school where union carpenters and professionals from other building trades can earn their certification in underwater welding and pile driving. The new school will host an open house on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. To attend, visit https://form.jotform.com/eascarpenters/OpenHouse.

“The offshore wind industry is taking off in America, and union carpenters are leading the way in training the next generation of construction workers to fill the growing demand for a qualified workforce in this rapidly developing sector,” said Frank Mahoney, EASRCC Communication Director. “We’re now looking for welders who can dive and divers who can weld. If you can do one, we can train you on the other.”

Located in Sicklerville, NJ, and funded through the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, the new school comes as an expansion of the Thomas C. Ober Carpenters Training Center in nearby Hammonton. The new facility adds lake access. The expanded space in Hammonton allows for more experiential, hands-on training in pile driving and heavy construction. The two separate locations will work in tandem and are part of an initiative by the EASRCC to prepare for the forthcoming coastal construction boom given President Biden’s Administration’s push for the offshore wind industry.

The training offered through the school is free of charge for those enrolled in the carpenter apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship program is an ideal way for prospective carpenters to learn the trade, mainly on weekends, while retaining the ability to keep their weekday job and earn money as they learn new skills. The starting salary for a one-year apprentice in New Jersey is $20 per hour, which doubles by the fourth year as one nears journeyperson status. Health and other benefits begin once an apprentice logs 600-hours of paid work in the program.

Carpenter apprentices and their instructors will be available to answer questions at the free event on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The open house will begin at 10:00 AM at 3300 White Horse Pike in Hammonton, NJ, and then move to the new underwater welding school at 1500 Liberty Pl in Sicklerville, NJ.

To register for the open house, visit https://form.jotform.com/eascarpenters/OpenHouse.