North Billerica, MA – The Gould Construction Institute (GCI), the fully licensed training affiliate of Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts (ABC MA), will hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new North Billerica training facility on Saturday, Nov. 16, featuring a video message from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.
“This new facility gives us the opportunity to provide our students with state-of-the-art, hands-on training with virtual simulators and help alleviate the long-term labor shortage confronting the construction industry,” said GCI president, Julie DeStefano.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be combined with GCI’s annual Craft Championship Competition at which apprentices compete in a number of trades. The winners will move on to the National Craft Championships at ABC’s 2025 National Convention from Feb. 25-27 in Las Vegas.
The Craft championships will begin at 9:00 am, followed by a luncheon at 12:30. The ribbon cutting and video from Gov. Healey will take place after lunch. The address is 9 Executive Park Drive, Suite 200 in North Billerica.
The dedicated facility is designed to create a number of opportunities for Gould and its students, including year-round apprenticeship training, and daytime and evening programs. GCI can also offer a summer semester to allow students a chance to fast track their training.
The facility will also allow GCI to offer workforce programs to attract talent to the trades through programming such as exploratory trade/apprenticeship programs, middle school summer camps and career fairs. It can also host the pre-apprenticeship programs conducted by ABC MA and GCI’s 501(c)3 partner Building Mass Careers.
“This facility will allow more students to access construction careers that offer family-supporting wages without the burden of college debt,” said ABC MA president, Greg Beeman.
