East Orange Workshop May Help You Land A Union Construction Job

EAST ORANGE, NJ — The construction business is booming, and city officials in East Orange are urging local residents to get their foot in the door of a growing industry.

On Wednesday, Mayor Ted Green, the East Orange City Council and the Mayor’s Office of Employment and Training announced the city is partnering with the Rising Builders Program to hold a special orientation session for union pre-apprenticeship opportunities on Monday, Jan. 30.

The workshop will be held at the East Orange Public Library, 21 South Arlington Street, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

According to East Orange officials:

“Open to East Orange residents, this session will provide residents with information on pre-apprenticeship union opportunities to work with Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 3 on the Brick Church Redevelopment Project and other union construction projects. As a union pre-apprentice, participants will receive 80 hours of training Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.”

Topics will include:

• Overview of Construction Trades
• History of Local 3
• Safety Training
• Soft Skills Training (e.g. Interpersonal Communication, Time Management, Critical Thinking, etc.)
• Pneumatic Tool Certification
• Scaffold Certification

In addition to earning multiple certificates upon completion, participants also will receive referrals to Local 3 or 55, East Orange officials said.

To be eligible for the program, residents must:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have a valid photo identification
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Pass a basic reading and writing test
• Pass a drug test

“A driver’s license is preferred, but not required,” officials said. “Funding will be provided for all expenses related to testing, OSHA 30 and union initiation fees.”

For more information, contact David Sharp at david.sharp@eastorange-nj.gov.

The Rising Builders Program is a public-private partnership between the City of East Orange and Triangle Equities, developer of The Crossings at Brick Church Station. It aims to help East Orange residents get “workforce ready” for local union construction jobs.

• See related: Future Construction Workers Ace Free Training Program In East Orange
• See related: 'Largest-Ever Real Estate Project' In East Orange Has 820 Rental Units
• See related: East Orange Churns With $1B In Real Estate Development, Firm Says

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