The Blog

  (By Mike Maloney, Director of Apprenticeship, Gould Construction Institute)   Heading to San Antonio for his first ABC National Convention, I decided to chronicle my experience for others who have never gone.  It was marked by fun, learning, delicious food and great music.   One of the highlights was clearly the Craft Championships, where the competitors showcased their talents against tradespeople from around the country.  I watched the competitors hard at work, looking sharp in their t-shirts, and also stopped and talked to judges of the plumbing, sprinklerfitting and team competitions.  Among the plumbing competition judges was GCI board member Gary Gauthier.  It was certainly a thrill when Nathan Gallagher of Notch Mechanical Constructors took home the Silver Medal in pipe welding and Caio Torres of Medford Wellington Service Company won Bronze in the sheet metal team competition.   The opening night celebration included an ...

  The Gould Construction Institute is pleased to offer Introduction to Construction 101, a 22-week course to be held at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton that will provide students with a foundation in construction and prepare them for more complex, trade-specific coursework.   The course will provide 135 hours of construction training. Beginning with safety, it will cover construction math, introductions to hand and power tools, construction drawings, basic rigging basic communication skills, employability skills and materials handling.   “We’re excited to grow our partnership and collaborate with Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School to meet the needs of a growing construction industry and give people the tools they need for a lucrative and rewarding career,” said GCI President Julie DeStefano. “This course will teach students core construction-related skills as well as introduce them to some licensed trades.& ...

  The Gould Construction Institute’s Fool Proof Leader Series is set to begin on October 12th and will cover a broad range of skills that your employees from administration to upper management can access from the comfort of their desks.    The series is designed for construction business owners seeking to develop future leaders within their organizations. It is designed for project managers, superintendents, foremen, engineers, estimators, financial managers, operations managers, and others–whether new or experienced in their roles.   Students will learn the core skills managers need to be successful. They will develop a strategic mindset that results in personal and professional growth. They will find out their native leadership style and how to adapt to changing business situations and conditions. Graduates of the program increase the value they contribute to their organizations.   The series will be taught by fellow ABC member and longtime frie ...

  The Fall semester is underway at the Gould Construction Institute, with 770 students registered in 64 classes taught by 57 teachers across 10 locations. Both electrical and pipefitting classes have moved from Greater Lawrence Technical School to Medford Vocational School. This has led to a big jump in electrical enrollment, with 89 students registered. Gould is offering two levels of sprinklerfitting at Greater Lawrence, where there are also 139 students registered in the sheet metal program, including over 25 in one class. Another 24 students are enrolled in Sprinklerfitting 3 in Taunton. “The start of the school year is always exciting as the hard work of the entire staff finally pays off,” said GCI Instructor Liaison Director Mike Maloney. “Scheduling classes, finding teachers and getting everything ready is exciting, and the excitement around the teachers attending orientations, setting expectations and getting everyone ready for September is so much fun!” ...

  On April 9th, the first cohort of 15 students graduated from the Metro North Pre-Apprentice Construction and Facilities Maintenance Training Program (PACMAN) in a truly joyous and inspirational ceremony.  The PACMAN curriculum includes an introduction to construction and facilities maintenance, financial literacy, and job readiness.  Students earned OSHA-10 safety and health certification and completed a National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) core curriculum that included the following elements: Basic Safety (Construction Site Safety Orientation) (12.5 hours) Introduction to Construction Math (10 hours) Introduction to Hand Tools (10 hours) Introduction to Power Tools (10 hours) Introduction to Construction Drawings (10 hours) ntroduction to Basic Rigging (7.5 hours) Basic Communication Skills (7.5 hours) Basic Employability Skills (7.5 hours) Introduction to Materials Handling (5 hours) But more inspiring than the curriculum or ...

                Do you or does someone you know hold a Journeyman or Master’s license in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? Learn more and find out how you can earn $300 just for referring an instructor to us!  Contact GCI's Instructor Liaison Director Mike Maloney to find out more about this opportunity to make some extra cash while giving back to your trade!  Teaching experience is an plus, but not necessary.   Contact Mike Maloney with any potential leads at (781) 270-9990 ext. 1138  or  [email protected] We are looking for instructors to teach the following courses:   Andover Tues. & Thurs. Pipefitting 1 Andover Tues & Thurs Sheet Metal 1 Andover Tues & Thurs Sheet Metal 2 Andov ...

  Play Pause   It’s pretty impressive to be named the National Craft Champion for pipefitting, but downright amazing if pipefitting isn’t something you do every day.  “A lot of the other competitors were from the South and worked on jobs like oil refineries where they did pipefitting every day,” said Sean O’Dowd of DECCO, who took home the gold medal on March 28th at ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, CA.  “I do mostly clean piping on things like pharmaceutical projects.  I think I caught the other ...

The Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) award applications are now available! Applications are Due by March 10th! Established in 1989, the Safety Training Evaluation Process serves as a benchmarking and improvement tool for achieving world-class safety performance in construction. Members measure their safety processes and policies on the 20 Key Components through a detailed questionnaire and learn to implement or enhance safety programs. Fill out your application today! S.T.E.P. Application If you have any questions, please contact:   Allison Jackson Training & Marketing Coordinator Gould Construction Institute, The Training Affiliate of ABC MA [email protected]  781-270-9990 x1112 What is S.T.E.P. Established in 1989 by the ABC National Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) Committee, the Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) program was developed and written by contractors, for contractors.  There is no charge ...

On Saturday, January 5, GCI and ABC MA held our annual Local Craft Championship Competition at Greater Lawrence Technical School in Andover, MA. Participants competed against their peers for a chance to compete in the 2019 ABC National Craft Championships in Long Beach, California on March 24-28. This year, participants in electrical, pipefitting and welding crafts were represented.  All the contestants worked hard and gave it their all.  Congratulations to our winners! Pipefitting: Sean O'Dowd from DECCO, Inc. ​​ Electrical: Anthony Flanagan from Nardone Electric  Welding: Matthew Costello from Notch Mechanical Constructors  ...

2019 Online STEP Application Applications available beginning January 15, 2019 and are due by March 10, 2019      NO STEP APPLICATION BOOKS WILL BE MAILED        Awards will be presented at the May 16, 2019  GCI/ABC Safety & Education Dinner Meeting What is S.T.E.P. - Safety Training and Evaluation Process   Your Road Map to Improved Safety Established in 1989 by the ABC National Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) Committee, the Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) program was developed and written by contractors, for contractors.  There is no charge for this service (unless you are applying for STEP Platinum or Diamond) and your responses are strictly confidential. Learn More About the S.T.E.P. Application Process ​Why Join? Safety is A CORE VALUE - With STEP, You Can BUILD UPON IT Organized approach for analyzing and developing saf ...