Trade group building Winooski construction training center seeks tax credit and $100,000 equipment grants

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) representatives told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on Feb. 7 that ABC is developing a 10,000-square-foot construction training center in Winooski and is asking the Legislature to consider two state supports: a corporate tax credit to reimburse employers that send workers to state-recognized training and a grant program of up to $100,000 to help training providers buy equipment.

The training center is being established by a newly formed nonprofit board to oversee ABC’s programs and industry-sponsored apprenticeships. Matt Musgrave, Vermont regional director for the Associated Builders and Contractors, said the center will offer NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) credentialed courses, an employer-sponsored apprenticeship program entering its third cohort, and a planned six-week pre-apprenticeship course designed to bridge Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduates and other entrants into commercial construction work. “The stated purpose of this facility and the program is really to provide a clear advancement route for people that want to enter the trades,” Musgrave said.

Why it matters: Committee members were told…