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The Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) new 106,000-square-foot apprenticeship training facility in Mount Laurel, N.J., sets a precedent in the U.S., offering hands‑on training for 26 Department of Labor-approved trades under one roof.

“I think this is going to be a landmark facility,” says Sam Roman, president and CEO, ABC-NJ.

A centralized hub for workforce development, the center positions ABC‑NJ at the forefront of merit‑shop training with the breadth of programs consolidated, something no other ABC chapter in the U.S. has done.

Bringing together the trades is partly based on economics but the ABC’s decision goes beyond that.

“Construction is not a siloed industry,” says Roman. “If you are a plumber working on a job and you are working alongside a welder you need basic understanding of what they do so you can work safely and properly.”

The new training facility will open up meaningful cross‑discipline opportunities for apprentices, she says.

Trades housed in the new center range from laborers and carpenters to elevator repair mechanics and electricians.

Each trade will have its own bay and the facility will include a number of classrooms. Students in the heavy equipment program will train on simulators with hands-on learning conducted at another ABC facility.

The building will include a two-storey model house mockup, offering opportunities for various trades to learn and work together.

Under the president’s leadership, ABC is the general contractor for the project and it is subcontracting work out to member companies.

“Every day, even on weekends we have contractors doing work.”

Roman says the facility is a refreshing change for ABC-NJ, after years of working out of a rented building and satellite locations with less than half the space.

The trade association acquired the former food processing plant and 12 acres late last year for $18 million.

ABC will put another $2 to $3 million into the retrofit, still a total price well below what a new build would have cost, she points out.

While it has been running some classes as early as March, the association plans on a grand opening in September.

In winter it will commence work on a mezzanine floor with a separate elevator core for training elevator mechanics.

The building will also feature a tools museum with a collection supplied by members that dates back to the 19^th century, says Roman.

ABC was fortunate to acquire the old warehouse which had “heavily loaded floors” and various height ceilings that lend themselves well to the trade association’s needs.

“It was absolutely serendipitous that this building came up for sale,” she says, adding it is only a two-minute walk from ABC-NJ’s headquarters.

With about 65 part-time instructors, the ABC chapter expects to train 500 pre-apprentices and apprentices in the first year, scaling up to more than 1,000 trained annually over the next five years. Training will be in class and online.

Roman says the average starting apprentice age is 24 to 27 years old but many second-career students are in their 30s and some even in their 40s.

With the shortage of skilled trades continuing to grow, the merit shop is expanding its recruitment pipeline — including candidates who received trades training while incarcerated and are now re‑entering the workforce.

“It is a newer area we’re dipping our toe in, and I want to be thoughtful to provide the services and supports,” she says.

The new facility marks a fresh direction for ABC‑NJ, helping drive “a comeback for the trades, not only in New Jersey but across the country.

“I think the newer generation is taking notice of the opportunities that exist, especially as debt-free continuing education,” she says. “We want to be there to support them, offer that education and make sure that they are well trained.”