College expands pathways to construction careers

From summer programs for grade-school students to internships with local companies and apprenticeships, certifications, and degrees, the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) supports myriad pathways to careers in the construction industry.

Yet the ongoing challenges of attracting enough workers to the industry as well as keeping abreast of the evolving skills required for tradespeople and construction professionals keep prompting CCBC to continue to update and expand its offerings.

At the end of last year, the BC&E Foundation approved a $2,000 grant to support the college’s construction industry training.

The list of construction-related training programs offered at CCBC is enormous. The college offers programs leading to associate’s degrees and credit certifications in Construction Management, Engineering, Engineering Technology, Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning, and more. It offers workforce training certificates in HVAC/Refrigeration, Building Automation, Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician, Construction Pre-Apprenticeship, and Welding.

The college has partnered with registered apprenticeship providers — both merit shops and unions — representing a wide variety of trades including electricians, carpenters and plumbers – to provide apprentices with classroom training and college credits.

It also provides grade school students with information about and training in construction fields through multiple initiatives. Its Early College Access Program (ECAP) gives high school students a head start on their college education. CCBC’s Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) program connects students from Baltimore County Public Schools with regional employers, including The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and Johnson Controls Inc. Employers offer students 10- to 12-week internships, serve as mentors and help students pursue careers in engineering and technology. To provide students with early information about career options, P-TECH includes a Summer Engineering Institute for students who are about to enter Grade Nine.

“Great partnerships with companies in the construction industry” have helped CCBC provide students and individuals with compelling information about career opportunities, said Jay Bouis, Assistant Dean, Applied Technology and Logistics at CCBC’s School of Continuing Education.

Those partnerships have facilitated connections between students and employers to place individuals in jobs.

Ongoing interaction with construction-industry companies also enables CCBC to “continually tweak our educational product” to meet current workforce needs, Bouis said. “We have been able to address workforce trends, such as the need for training in computer programs, cybersecurity and automation, including the need for shorter, trade-specific programs. Having the right program that is industry-informed helps place students on a pathway to employment.”

The college has also grown its opportunities for construction workers to expand their skills.

“As a person progresses through their career, they might want to add another certification, another skill. We have short programs and classes to support that,” Bouis said.

Meanwhile, opportunities within Maryland’s college system have made it easier for skilled tradespeople to continue their education and earn degrees.

“There are a growing number of pathways at CCBC from apprenticeships to degrees,” he said. “A person who has completed their skilled-trades apprenticeship, can apply some of that training and work experience combination as college credit. If they decide to pursue a Construction Craft Professional degree, they can enter that program with advanced standing. Apprentices that complete five-year programs are essentially halfway through earning that degree.”