The New Jersey Carpenters Apprentice Training Program consists of a minimum of 800 hours of offsite training which must be completed, in addition to the 4 years/8000 hours of onsite training, in order for an apprentice to become a journeyman carpenter.

At the training center we use the Performance Evaluated System of Training which was originally developed by the Apprenticeship and Training Department of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in the late 1970's. Since that time the program has been upgraded, refined and revised to keep the program current with the needs of the industry.

The Training program is a self-paced program in which progress is determined by the apprentices themselves. In the training center we have created an on-the-job type situation in which the apprentices must attend prepared to work with their work clothes, work shoes and tools. Each apprentice is assigned a specific skill area, hopefully an area relating to what they are presently doing on the job, and will work in that area until they have completed 80% of that particular skill, their work assignment is changed or they need another specific type of training in order to meet the demands of their job. Each skill area contains specific tasks which make up the criteria for that area. There are eight skill areas.

The apprentice observes a presentation on a specific task and when they feel confident that they are able to complete a project related to the task they are given a print or drawing of a project and proceed to work on that project in the area for the specific skill.

Each skill area is facilitated by an instructor who is a competent journeyman, currently working at the trade. The instructor is available to answer any questions on the presentations, assign the projects and demonstrate proper trade related procedures to assist the apprentices as the complete the projects. When the project is completed the instructor checks the completed project to make sure it meets industry standards before giving the apprentice an acceptable grade. It is a pass/fail system in which the work must be completed properly before an acceptable grade is given.

Starting with the 1999/2000 training year all apprentices were required to complete an OSHA 10 course, a 40 hour scaffold course, an ergonomics course, CPR and emergency first aid training and basic rigging during their first year of apprentice training.

The PETS type of training program teaches an apprentice to be proficient in all phases of carpentry, to be productive and to produce quality work. It also teaches apprentices to think and reason so that they will be able to accomplish new procedures, utilize new materials and use new tools as new technology is introduced to the trade and the new journey level workers progress through the trade after completing apprenticeship.

The program is designed to permit change as often as necessary to keep the training current with the ever changing work environment. As some of the more current trade practices become obsolete we are prepared to change or develop additional curriculum to meet the needs of the industry.