Plainfield officials advance workforce center plan, emphasize apprenticeships and local hiring

The Plainfield City Council on Feb. 2025 advanced multiple measures to move forward a planned workforce development center intended to train residents for construction trades and connect them to local contractors.

City officials and developers said the Plainfield Workforce Development Cooperative will operate from a roughly 26,000-square-foot building under a long-term lease and include classroom and hands-on training. The administration described the project as a living classroom that will prepare trainees for carpentry, electrical, plumbing and other trade work and for placement on local construction contracts.

The city—s economic development director said the building will be leased for $1 for a 75-year term and that renovation work will be paid for by the general contractor and the project team. The director said the lease and project structure are designed to prioritize Plainfield residents for training and jobs and to leverage grants the city is pursuing from federal and state sources.

"This workforce development model ... is certified by the U.S. Department of Labor as well as the New Jersey Department of Labor and the intent is only for Plainfield residents," the director said during the meeting.

Local contractors and training providers who addressed council members described the program as a registered apprenticeship model that combines classroom instruction with on-the-job learning. "We have a U.S. Registered Apprenticeship program ... which consists of 8,000 hours of on-the-job learning and 527 hours of technical instruction," said Jerry Fosu, owner of Sankofa Constructions, who said the program includes trades instruction and supplementary short courses such as solar-panel installation and heavy-equipment operation.

Duhem Lemard of Lamar General Construction, who also spoke at the meeting, said the program will not place a strict age ceiling on enrollment, though the U.S. and state labor funding the city is pursuing emphasizes 16-to-24-year-old cohorts. "There'll be no age limit for the program," Lemard said. "You can enter at any age and you will basically get the training." Council members asked about curriculum, partnerships with the school district and timelines; the director said initial portions of the facility could be open within months after approvals and that more complete workshop space would follow.

Officials listed multiple funding sources they are pursuing to support professional services and construction costs, including ARPA, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and federal/state labor grants. The administration said professional services for the related Center of Excellence project are estimated to total millions of dollars and that construction was preliminarily estimated near $40 million.

Public commenters who identified themselves as partners or future participants urged the council to keep the program accessible and to coordinate with the Plainfield Public School District. Several community members asked that costs be minimal or waived for Plainfield residents. The director said further details on curriculum, job placements and a public opening were expected in the coming months and that a public construction job fair is planned around May.

The project will rely on a combination of grant funding and contributions from participating contractors if federal or state grant awards are delayed, presenters said. Council members indicated broad support but pressed for continued reporting on funding, timelines and measures to ensure local hiring.

Officials said the city will host outreach and enrollment information nearer the facility opening so residents can register for classes and apprenticeship cohorts.

Ending: The council added the workforce items to the voting agenda for formal approval. Officials and partners said they will return with more details on training schedules, grant awards and community outreach as the project moves into design and construction phases.