Ivy Tech Construction Program to Incorporate Certificates

Ivy Tech says it offers over 1

Ivy Tech Community College says its Building Construction Technology program will include industry certifications from the National Center for Construction Education and Research. The program will offer certificates in carpentry, electrical and construction management.

Ivy Tech says starting this fall, every class in the new construction program will prepare students for a national certification.

“There’s a constant cry from industry that there’s a shortage of skilled labor for construction. The benefit to our students is they’re getting multiple industry-recognized certifications,” said Ryan Voorhees, the College’s statewide curriculum chair for Building Construction Technology.  

He says construction and manufacturing fields will have nearly 8 million job openings by 2018. Voorhees says 20 percent of the country’s construction workforce will retire in the next two to four years.

“Once a week, I get an email from employers looking for one or two or three candidates. We’re trying to stay ahead of the tidal wave by improving our program and raising our bar so we’re producing higher quality candidates. So when employers call, I can say, ‘I have 10 students with this certification who would be a perfect fit for your company,’” Voorhees said.