JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new workforce education center from the Northeast Florida Builders Association opened this week on Sunbeam Road. It will train carpenters, electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians to meet growing demand across the region.
The Northeast Florida Builders Association, or NEFBA, has been connecting students with training and employers for 82 years and has operated an apprenticeship program for more than 50 years.
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The state-of-the-art 43,000-square-foot facility welcomed more than 550 students in its first week. The building includes 11 classrooms and four hands-on labs designed to give students real-world experience before they enter the workforce.
“Right now, our industry faces a shortage of skilled tradespeople,” said Scott Brannock, NEFBA president. “This center is our answer to that challenge. It is where we will train the next generation of carpenters, electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians — the people who will build Northeast Florida for years to come.”
Brannock said the program is nationally accredited and supported by a broad range of employers.
“We have so many employers within Northeast Florida — well over 200 — that sponsor this program, that contribute to this program,” he said.
One graduate of the program’s pathway to leadership is Dylan Crounse, superintendent in training for Auld & White Constructors.
Crounse once worked as a server in a local restaurant and joined NEFBA’s apprenticeship program while planning for his family’s future.
“It’s really a full circle moment,” Crounse said. “I have the ability to give back to the program that has already given so much to me.”
He added that seeing a completed project and being able to physically show his family what he helped build is an emotional reward.
NEFBA’s president says the association is the largest builders association in Florida and the fourth-largest builders association in the nation.