UBC Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship at Edison Job Corps Academy
Lead instructor Joseph Brown and instructor Jeremy Sickles completed a new shop floor with their pre-apprenticeship students. This was a Career Technical Skills Training (CTST) project designed to provide relevant hands-on experience for students through property improvements on the campus.
The students were able to gain several skill competencies while replacing the flooring. This enabled them to advance on their training achievement records (eTARs), as well as increase their knowledge and confidence. During the build, carpentry students learned to work safely with numerous hand and power tools. After disassembling the old shop floor, the students installed a vapor barrier and placed two layers of 3/4′ tongue and groove plywood. Finally, three coats of polyurethane were applied and a Hi-Viz yellow safety edge and e-z access transition mats were added.
One of the reasons the new plywood floor looks so incredible, besides the great workmanship, is that it is modeled after the UBC International Training Center’s shop flooring!
Students had a wide variety of training options on this newly installed floor. Metal stud and drywall, ceilings, concrete forms, layout, scaffolding, OSHA safety training, door hardware, and many other exciting classes. Projects like these prepare students for a successful career as a Union carpenter, making top wages for their job. The shop space can also become a classroom, where instructors use the interactive Promethean board to engage students in topics from layout, to math and interviewing techniques.
Most of the Edison pre-apprenticeship students come from the Tri-State area: New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Recently, students from New York City attended an open house at the NYC Labor Technical College, as well. The students who are nearing completion applied for the NYC Carpenters Apprenticeship Program and were scheduled for personal interviews.
If all goes well, they will soon be continuing their training and starting to earn living wages as Union carpenter apprentices!
Flooring before starting the project.
Flooring while project is in-progress.
Minimizing the concrete dust.
Finishing the flooring project.
Shop projects on the completed floor.
Discover the trade that’s waiting for you!
The UBC Job Corps is your opportunity to discover a career that combines passion with practicality, where every day brings a new challenge and the chance to work hands-on to make a tangible impact.
Through work-based learning and mentorship, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to excel in a field that values creativity, resilience and hard work.
Let us guide you toward a fulfilling career path that not only promises a bright future, but also the satisfaction of building it with your own hands.