Employ Prince George's Opens Doors to New Building Trades Career Center

LARGO, Md., Dec. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Employ Prince George's, in collaboration with the Prince George's County Workforce Development Board, and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 51, is excited to announce the upcoming grand opening of the new Building Trades Career Center on December 8, 2023. This cutting-edge training facility, located at 4700 Boston Way in Lanham, Maryland, aims to equip Prince George's County residents with the skills needed for successful careers with union employers in the Construction Industry. The center will offer career coaching, job readiness training, and be home to training programs and apprenticeships for all unions within the building trades. This will be the first affiliated American Job Center to open inside of a building trades union in the United States.

The Building Trades Career Center will serve as a principal training and career development location for Employ Prince George's construction and infrastructure workforce development initiatives, spearheaded by the nationally recognized Construction Works Program (CWP) and Apprenticeship Innovation Program (AIP). Walter Simmons, President and CEO of Employ Prince George's, expressed his excitement, stating, "The opening of the Building Trades Career Center marks a significant milestone for the Prince George's County Public Workforce System and the Prince George's County economy". It will serve as a hub for our comprehensive construction trades training programs, a bridge to connect Prince George's County residents to the building trades unions, a tool to develop Prince George's County next generation of skilled laborers, while connecting residents to livable wage jobs that don't require a college degree."

"We are thrilled to open this new center that will make Prince George's County a national leader in workforce development for construction trades," said Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks expressing her enthusiasm. "From our young people in career and technical education programs to returning citizens and veterans, we are committed to providing opportunities for all our residents to obtain good-paying jobs. We look forward to our continued partnership with local building trades unions to train the next generation of skilled workers in Prince George's."

"This partnership between Employ Prince George's and the International Union of Painters & Allied Trades District Council 51, is a first-of-its-kind partnership that my administration is thrilled to support," said Governor Wes Moore. "By leveraging existing federal funds and using some state support we will create a long-standing career and training center that will help thousands of Marylanders looking for jobs for years to come."

This project is the result of a collaborative effort between Employ Prince George's, Prince George's County Government, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 51 (IUPAT DC51), and industry partners. Funding for the center was generously provided by Prince George's County Government, the Prince George's County Workforce Development Board, a Bond Bill passed through the Maryland General Assembly and sponsored by Maryland Delegate Jazz Lewis.

"Workforce development provides access to state-of-the-art training and has to be tied to employment. These are the critical keys to the success of Bidenomics. It's not just the short-term jobs created by historic federal investments in infrastructure; it's the springboard to long-term careers, with better wages and benefits for millions without access to the middle class," states Brian Courtien, Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer of IUPAT DC 51.

"Today is the embodiment of why hard work and dedication equals progress. This vital Building Trades Career Center is going to bring a lot of workers hope and bring fresh talent to businesses in the construction trades," said Delegate Jazz Lewis. "This is the culmination of years of work on the part of Employ Prince George's, myself, and so many partners to create an expansive and innovative center to train and prepare a new wave of construction industry workers right here in Prince George's County."

Employ Prince George's will also operate its in-school youth program, Youth Career Connections, that is funded through the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, with a goal to enhance youth apprenticeship programming in Prince George's County. "It is exciting to see Blueprint for Maryland's Future implementation in action with the opening of this new career center to connect students with in-demand job opportunities in the building trades," said Rachel Hise, Executive Director, Blueprint for Maryland's Future Accountability & Implementation Board (AIB). The opening of this new career center is a tangible example of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future implementation in action, creating pathways for students to succeed in high-demand careers.

To mark the occasion, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house will be held from 10:15 am to 2:30 pm on December 8^th. The event will feature guided tours of the facility, panel discussions with federal, local, and state government leaders, a leading economist from Lightcast, workforce development leaders, and labor leaders. Various local dignitaries will also be in attendance to commemorate the opening of this groundbreaking center. Light refreshments will be provided.

Members of the media and the public are cordially invited to join the celebration. For more information about the event, please contact Jamie Gunnell at 301-339-4652 or [email protected].

Employ Prince George's (EPG) provides workforce intelligence and solutions for the job seeker and business. EPG's mission is to contribute to the economic vitality of Prince George's County by providing a demand-driven system that delivers qualified workers to business and provides job seekers with opportunities for careers in high-demand/high-growth industries.

For more information, please visit employPG.org.

SOURCE Employ Prince George's