Program Name: The New Jersey Capitol and Southern Councils of Carpenters Youth Transition to Work Preapprenticeship Program
Nominator's Name: Dr. Elric A. Cicchetti
Title: Superintendent - Mercer County Technical School District
Address: 1085 Old Trenton Road
City/State/Zip: Trenton NJ 08690
Nominator's Telephone Number: 609-586-2129
Organization: New Jersey Capitol and Southern Regional Councils of Carpenters YTTW
Address: 2100 South White Horse Pike, PO Box C-16
City/State/Zip: Hammonton NJ 08037
List of Community Partners: Parsons Brinckerhoff, Mercer County Community College, Home Depot, Intl. Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, St. Francis Med. Ctr., RWJ Hospital, Hamilton Cont. Care and Mercer County Geriatric Center
The nominated program focuses on the following grade level or area: Vocational-Technical School
District:  Mercer County Technical Schools
County: Mercer
Address: 1085 Old Trenton Road
City/State/Zip: Trenton NJ 08690
District Superintendent: Dr. Elric A. Cicchetti
District Telephone Number: 609-586-5144
Date of Program Initiation: September 1, 1998

Area 1: Goals:

• To ensure a smooth transition of young adults into a skilled union workforce.
• To prepare students to be qualified in carpentry skills, trade knowledge, safety and good work habits.
• To help prepare students for the Carpenter's Union Apprenticeship test.

Through the above goals, this program emphasizes the importance of excellence through enhancement of school-based learning, team-teaching basic talents and curriculum revisions which are based on current industry demands. Workshops on technologies and building trades career fields, teach recognition of construction trade career opportunities and use of apprenticeship alternatives. The result is high paying marketable skills and ultimate industry career goals.

The grant is formatted to address the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards. Throughout this program students participate in a series of activities, which have them continually, developing career plans, workplace readiness skills and proper safety attitudes. They use state of the art technology in the form of tools and instruments on group and individual projects. The projects and classes require critical thinking, decision making and problem solving skills.

Area 2: Activities:

The YTTW Program is structured around a series of specific activities that are strategically scheduled throughout the school year. The year's agenda is presented by three designated union carpenters and the Assunpink Centers General Building Construction teacher. The union participants are the Program Coordinator, an Assistant, and the Director of the Local Union Training Center.

The activities begin in early October when the Union Program Coordinator spends a day with the students explaining the details of the two-year plan of action. At the end of the day students are aware of the value of participating in the program and the possibility of gaining a coveted place in the Union Apprenticeship class after graduation from high school.

In November, the class is invited to spend a school day at the Local Union Training Center for a series of presentations, by the Director, regarding Union History and Safety. The presentations are very well thought-out and in depth. The students are impacted in a very positive manner. Early in the school year the General Building Construction teacher gives a math pretest, evaluates each student's areas of deficiency and begins addressing those needs. In January, the Union Coordinator and his Assistant present Math Day. They spend the day with the class working with individual students preparing them for the union test. Evaluations are done afterward and the teacher continues working with the students for the remainder of the school year.

In February, the Union Representatives are back at the Assunpink Center presenting "Transit Level Day". The students are introduced to and trained in the use of state-of-the-art, high-end Laser Transits and Levels.

During the school year, the Union Carpenters and the students identify a community service project for mutual participation. In previous years they produced twenty backboards for the Capitol Health System, several picnic tables for Mercer County Park Commission, a handicap ramp and platform for an inner-city company, and restored existing and built replicas of Revolutionary War Guard Shacks for the Washington Crossing Park. Additionally, first year YTTW students are assigned a basic hand tool project while second year students are assigned a project that becomes a competition judged by the Union Representatives.

Finally, in May, the students visit a Union Training Center where they interact with the Journeymen/lnstructors and the apprentices for the day. The year's activities involve over 100 man-hours dedicated to the students by Union Representatives.

Area 3: Outside Resources:

The YTTW Partnership Program is funded by a Grant through the New Jersey Department of Labor. It is then planned and executed by the L.E.A. N.J. Brotherhood of Carpenters.

Area 4: Evaluation:

We are in the fifth year of this five year grant. During those years, the partnership has served at least 20 students per year providing them with opportunities to improve their scholastic and trade knowledge and life's skills. As a result, several students have become union apprentices and others have entered the job market better prepared than most of their peers.

The teacher has enjoyed and appreciated the assistance from the program and the strong results in student growth and achievement. In every case the results of the math post-test were improved when compared to the pre-test. The combined efforts of the YTTW and the General Building Construction Programs have yielded very strong entry-level carpenters.

Area 5: Stability:

The Carpenter's YTTW Pre-Apprenticeship Program is funded by a grant and has been in existence for five years involving eleven school districts in central and southern New Jersey. Each of the Union Representatives has over thirty years of experience they bring to the students and share quite willingly.

Area 6: Endorsements:

" I really appreciate the existence of this partnership. Being a union carpenter myself, I know full well the qualities the YTTW Carpenters have to offer. My students will graduate steps ahead because of the YTTW efforts."

Mark Nace, General Building Construction Teacher

"As a union carpenter for over 30 years and an instructor at the Carpenters Apprentice Training Center for over 10 years, I believe that the Youth Transition to Work Program (YTTW) has a strong positive impact on the future of the 400+ students enrolled. The unique partnerships that have been formed between the schools, communities and the New Jersey Carpenters' Union provides students with the technical skills, attitude, and knowledge of what will be required of them to enter the Carpenters Apprenticeship Program. For example, the one on one mentoring in mathematics demonstrates the importance of this subject and creates the awareness and self motivation necessary to succeed. The feed back from educators in the schools and success of the students in entering the Carpenters Apprenticeship Program to date validates the effectiveness of the YTTW."

David M. Cunniff, YTTW Coordinator

"For several years, the Mercer County Technical School Districts' Assunpink Center has participated as a consortium partner in the YTTW program with New Jersey's Brotherhood of Carpenters. This linkage is proving to be very effective in providing opportunities and incentives for students to graduate from high school and go on to post secondary education via registered apprenticeship programs. Together we are creating a pool of well-trained youth, ready to enter high skilled, high wage, labor demand occupations."

Mr. Richard Smith, CIE Coordinator, Assunpink Center