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Careers
The School of Building Trades
Building Maintenance/Mechanics
Gloucester Township Campus
The Building Maintenance/Mechanics program provides students with foundation skills in all realms of factory, institution, commercial, and residential building maintenance. Students will receive units of instruction in safety, tool knowledge and application, and equipment operation.
Instruction is given in basic units of carpentry, painting, and other interior wall maintenance repair and preparation, installation, repair and maintenance of various flooring materials, including tile, concrete, hardwood, carpeting, etc. Students will also learn how to install and replace doors, door frames, and locking mechanisms, and repair and refinish furniture. During their junior and senior years, students will also be guided through skill cluster areas in gas and arc welding, electricity, plumbing, machine processes, and small engine repairs.
Employment opportunities upon completion of this program include general maintenance and repair in schools, nursing homes, hospitals, factories, etc.
Additional jobs might include employment for maintenance and cleaning services for residential or commercial operations, painters, and hardwood floor refinishers. Graduates may also secure employment as independent contractors.
Gloucester Township Campus and Pennsauken Campus
The Carpentry program at the Gloucester Township Campus begins with cabinet-making and wood-working instruction. Students will learn the use of hand tools, then power tools and machinery. Students will learn to measure, layout, design and build cabinets and furniture. The next two years of instruction provides students with up-to-date information on building materials and construction methods. At the Pennsauken Campus, students take carpentry all four years.
Hands-on training includes applications relating to site layout, foundations, framing, sheathing, roofing, windows and doors, as well as exterior and interior finishing work.
Special emphasis is placed on the use of modern tools, materials, construction of stairs, cost estimating, and scheduling. Units of instruction are arranged in a logical sequence, similar to the order in which the various phases of building construction are performed.
Graduates may obtain entry-level employment as cabinetmakers, carpenters and specialty areas such as roofers, framers, finish carpenters and more. This could eventually lead to other responsible positions, such as foremen and construction superintendents.
Gloucester Township Campus and Pennsauken Campus
Students in the Electric program learn residential, commercial and industrial wiring in compliance with the National Electric Code. Job safety and work place readiness is stressed throughout the program. Instruction includes basic electrical theory as it pertains to direct and alternating currents.
Over their four years, students receive numerous hands-on experiences doing live lab projects. Students perform practical applications with pipe bending, conduits and fittings, conductor installations, residential services, distribution equipment and transformers, HVAC and alarm systems.
Graduates may seek employment in many fields such as cable installers, alarm system installers, electrical apprentices or residential wiring helpers. Graduates of the Electric program are strongly encouraged to continue their training and become an apprentice where there will be provided job training as well as receive industry wages that are based on a student’s knowledge of the trade.
Graduates may also continue their training at the college level and pursue a variety of related careers such as electrical engineers. Students who meet eligibility requirements may have the opportunity to earn college credits for units of study within this career program.
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R)
Gloucester Township Campus
In the HVAC/R Career Program, the curriculum is revised annually to meet the industry standards provided by the Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute (ARI) in Arlington, Virginia. In the first two years, students will be trained in the fundamentals of air conditioning & refrigeration including the refrigeration system, piping operations, torch operations, sheet metal fabrication and EPA/CFC certification. Also in the first two years, electrical systems and components are presented as a priority to future service operations of HVAC/R equipment. Included in the electrical training are meter use, schematic drawing and interpreting, component identification and testing, electric motors, and an introduction to electrical theory.
In the third and fourth year, students are trained in installation and service of HVAC equipment, including gas heat, oil heat, electric heat, and heat pumps. Advanced training is also provided on hydronic heat, roof top equipment and on a water chilled air conditioning system cooling three classrooms. Junior and senior level students are required to take the Industry Competency Exam (ICE Test) produced by ARI. Excellent opportunities exist for graduates as apprentice mechanics and entry-level technicians because of the necessity of HVAC/R in homes and businesses.
Gloucester Township Campus
The Hydro Technology (Plumb-ing) program offers instruction in techniques commonly associated with this craft, including safety issues, steel pipe cutting, threading and installation to specifications, soldering, and cutting of copper tubing. Other common materials used in this program are cast iron, lead, oakum, no hub, and plastic pipe. Applications also include the installation of a variety of appliances, fittings and fixtures used in the industry. Instruction is offered on acetylene tanks and controls, pipe machines and other tools and equipment common to the trade. Students also gain knowledge about building codes and blueprint reading, and how to install and repair residential and commercial plumbing systems, sprinkler systems, hot tubs, etc.
Pipe layers, plumbers, pipe fitters, and steamfitters comprise one of the largest and highest paid construction occupations. Students enrolled in Hydro Technology have the opportunity to participate in the cooperative education program, and also to earn college credits via the Youth Apprentice program. After graduation, they may become of an apprentice and earn their New Jersey plumber’s license. They may then work in the trade or continue their education at the college level such as taking courses to operate their own business, or study engineering or other related occupations.
Gloucester Township Campus
The Masonry program offers instruction in mixing mortar, setting up and safely using scaffolds, laying various sizes of block and brick to the line, and corner leads. Students also learn how to prepare, mix and pour a variety of concrete forms. Students in this program are trained in the use of a wide variety of equipment including mortar and concrete mixers and brick saws.
Masonry students create modern and traditional fireplaces, barbeques, steps, chimneys and other specialized projects such as patios. Employment opportunities include masonry laborers and apprenticeships as block and brick-layers.
Gloucester Township Campus and Pennsauken Campus
The Welding program is intended to train students in the practices and procedures of a variety of welding techniques. The program is designed to teach skills, ranging from the basic to the highly specialized, which meet the needs of industrial employers. State-of-the-art equipment and machinery are used in the program which includes shielded metal ARC, gas torch, MIG and TIG welders.
Instruction focuses on a number of welding types and students learn techniques for all types of metals including aluminum, mild steel, and stainless steel, and wires such as flux core.
Graduates of the Welding program may become welders, flame cutters or fitters. This program is certified by the American Welding Society.