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Workers Graduate from Statewide Weatherization Program

Cumberland and Salem County Graduates are the First to Complete Training

Fourteen residents of Cumberland and Salem counties became the first graduates statewide of a new 10-week training program that prepares men and women for careers in residential weatherization performance and building science.  A graduation ceremony was held Thursday at Cumberland County Technical Education Center in Bridgeton.


The New Jersey Weatherization Training Program is a collaborative partnership between the NJ Building Laborers Training and Apprenticeship Fund, the Black Ministers Council of NJ, the NJ Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, State Employment Training Commission, Workforce Investment Boards and Laborers International Union local 55.


The program, funded through a grant by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Community Affairs, offers free weatherization training and placement assistance to residents of distressed cities. 


More than $118 million has been allocated by the federal government through stimulus funding to weatherize the homes of low income families.  Retrofitting energy inefficient homes will not only create thousands of new jobs, but it will also save families an average of $440 to $600 a year on their home energy bills, and in some cases much more.  Low-income households typically spend 17% of their total income on energy vs. 4% for other households.

According to the United States Department of Energy, New Jersey has an estimated 2.9 million homes in need of weatherization, a market which could create more than 18,000 jobs.   During the ten week program, participants received both classroom and hands-on skills in home energy efficiency techniques as well as basic skills remediation and training in employability and job retention.

“Our participants leave us job-ready and prepared to work in a field that is expected to see tremendous growth,” said Don Howard, director of the NJ Building Laborers Training and Apprenticeship Fund.


Darlene Barber, vice president of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools and superintendent of the Cumberland County Technical Education Center, said participating in the training partnership is a natural extension of the mission of her school.  “County vocational-technical schools are in the business of preparing workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow, not the jobs of yesterday,” he said.  “The need for workers in green collar careers such as weatherization is going to continue to be a field of growth during the upcoming decade.”


“The Black Ministers Council is extremely proud of this first graduating class of trained weatherization technicians.  This program is important to underserved communities because it provides job opportunities that will help to sustain families,” said Reverend Charles Wilkins, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Millville and southern hub director for the Black Minister’s Council.

The New Jersey Weatherization Training Program will train a total of 600 men and women statewide on a rolling basis throughout the state over 18 months.  A similar cadre of students will graduate in two weeks from Passaic County.


Graduates received certifications for Environmental Protection Agency, Lead Renovator Painting and Repair, OSHA 10 Hour Construction Industry Safety Training Program, American Red Cross CPR/First Aid, Scaffold User, Hazard Communications and Laborers International Union’s Weatherization Technichian/Installer.  Graduates will receive job placement assistance with various home energy performance contractors and through local weatherization programs.  Graduates of the program said the course has put them on a path toward a new career.


“This class has meant a great deal to me,” said Reggie Allen, a program graduate from Vineland.  “It took me from a state of mind where I was thinking there was no hope for me and gave me a great career path.  It also made me look at being more energy efficient.”


Raymond Hall, a program participant from Newfield, said the hands-on learning in weatherization was only beginning of the important skills learned in the program. “This has showed me how to become more responsible and also how to be on time,” he said, referring to the job readiness components of the training.


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Read more about this program in the Vineland Daily Journal

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