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The state has put another $2 million toward no-cost construction training. Here is who qualifies, what participants receive, and how to get in line for a spot.
New Jersey women and minorities who have considered a career in construction but could not afford the time or money to train for it now have another opening.
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has made $2 million available through the first fiscal year 2027 round of the New Jersey Builder’s Utilization Initiative for Labor Diversity Women and Minorities in Construction Trades program, known as NJBUILD WMIC. The money will pay for training programs that prepare women and minority residents for construction jobs, and those programs will be free to the people who enroll.
For someone working a retail job, a parent returning to the workforce, or a person who has always wanted to work with their hands but never had a way in, the program is built to remove the obstacles that usually stand between an interested person and a paid apprenticeship.
What NJBUILD is, in plain terms
The state does not hand NJBUILD money directly to individuals. It funds schools, unions, nonprofits, employers and other organizations, which then run training programs and recruit participants.
Residents take part by enrolling in one of those funded programs.
The program’s funding comes from New Jersey’s own building projects. State agencies must contribute one-half of one percent of the cost of every construction contract worth $1 million or more to the NJBUILD fund. In effect, a portion of the money New Jersey spends on its roads, schools and public buildings is set aside to train the residents who have historically been left out of that work.
Since fiscal year 2019, NJDOL has awarded more than $24 million through its Women and Minorities in Construction and Women and Minority Veterans in Construction programs, training more than 2,500 New Jersey residents for the building trades.
Who can take part
To enroll in an NJBUILD WMIC program, a participant must meet the following requirements:
- Be a woman or a member of a minority group.
- Be older than 16 when she enrolls, and at least 18 by the time training ends.
- Live in New Jersey and be authorized to work in the United States.
- Have a genuine interest in full-time work in the construction industry.
Participants must also register with a One-Stop Career Center, the state’s network of local job centers. Those who qualify may be co-enrolled in additional services, such as help with interviewing, resumes and career exploration.
Programs also receive extra credit in the grant competition for recruiting from certain groups. Those groups include single parents, displaced homemakers, dislocated workers, people who are unemployed or have been out of work a long time, people with disabilities, people returning from incarceration, students, and young people in or aging out of foster care. A woman who fits one of those descriptions may find that programs are actively looking for her.
What participants receive
- Free training. The rules state that participants may not be charged for tuition, required materials or program-required certifications. Any optional charges, such as union membership fees, must be disclosed up front.
- A structured curriculum. Every funded program must include at least 30 hours of workforce readiness and employability instruction, at least 120 hours of hands-on training in a specific construction occupation, and at least 15 hours of job shadowing. Each participant must also leave with at least one industry-recognized credential.
- Help with the obstacles outside the classroom. Programs can provide or connect participants to childcare, transportation, help getting a driver’s license, expungement assistance, housing services, counseling and mentoring, financial literacy training, tutoring, and help earning a high school equivalency diploma. Programs are also expected to help participants obtain basic documents such as a driver’s license, state ID or birth certificate.
- Possible stipends. Programs may choose to include participant stipends of up to $250 a week to help cover costs such as transportation or childcare during training. Not every program offers them, so prospective participants should ask.
- A job at the end. The goal is placement in a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship or a full-time construction job with a starting wage of at least $17 an hour. Programs are expected to place at least 80 percent of their graduates. Placements must be regular W-2 jobs; independent contracting and starting a business do not count.
- Support after hiring. Case management must continue for at least 60 days after a participant starts an apprenticeship or job, so graduates are not left on their own during the difficult early weeks at a new job site.
The careers the program covers
The grant supports training in the building and construction trades, with particular encouragement for clean energy and lead abatement. The clean energy occupations include building decarbonization, energy efficiency, environmental infrastructure, grid infrastructure and storage, solar, and weatherization.
Lead abatement is a notable opportunity in New Jersey. State law requires every community water system to replace all of its lead service lines by 2031, and New Jersey has an estimated 350,000 of those lines, one of the highest totals in the country. That work will continue in communities across the state for years to come.
The program is not limited to jobs in the field. It also covers ancillary roles in the construction industry, such as construction manager, building inspector, surveyor, planner, and financial or administrative positions, all at the same $17-an-hour minimum placement wage.
Who knows where it can take you. Maybe even putting together a festival can be a project you get to be a part of.
Why this matters for women
Women remain rare in the trades. In 2025, women held 11.3 percent of all construction industry jobs, but only 4.3 percent of hands-on trade positions. They make up just 3.1 percent of carpenters, 2.9 percent of electricians and roughly 3.1 percent of plumbers.
That gap represents an opportunity. Construction trades can be entered through paid apprenticeships that do not require a college degree, and union jobs in particular tend to offer good pay with benefits. A Registered Apprenticeship typically lasts at least a year and combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Apprentices who complete one earn a nationally recognized credential.
“The NJBUILD Women and Minorities in Construction Trades program is a critical investment in untapped talent and reflects our commitment to building an inclusive, skilled construction workforce,” said Jessica Richardson, NJDOL’s Chief of NJBUILD and Special Initiatives. “Through this initiative, participants are connected to hands-on training, earn industry-recognized credentials, and pursue pathways to Registered Apprenticeships and employment — launching careers that strengthen our communities and our state’s infrastructure for generations to come.”
How to take part: a step-by-step guide
Register with a One-Stop Career Center now.
Registration is required for every participant, and residents can sign up online through the state’s Jobs4Jersey JobSource portal or in person at their county’s One-Stop Career Center.
Completing this step early puts a resident on the radar of local workforce staff, who often know when new training cohorts are forming.
Contact programs that are already funded.
The most recent round of awards, announced in August, went to four organizations.
-East Orange School District is training for construction trades.
-Elizabeth Development Company is training for commercial driving, electrical assistant, HVAC and plumbing.
-New Beginnings Behavioral Health is training for electrical, HVAC and weatherization.
-Rutgers University is training for carpentry and construction through its Rutgers Employment Success Program.
Interest is high: one recent New Beginnings orientation planned for 15 attendees and drew 77. Residents should reach out promptly.
Watch for new programs in early 2027.
Organizations will apply for this latest $2 million round by Oct. 28, and grant contracts are expected to run from Jan. 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028.
Funded programs are encouraged to spend their first three months recruiting and screening participants, which means new cohorts are likely to begin enrolling in the first months of 2027.
Explore other pathways in the meantime.
The Northeast Carpenters Apprentice Training and Education Fund and Sisters in the Brotherhood have offered a Women’s Pre-Apprentice Program, which gives women a trial period in carpentry that can lead to a five-year, paid union apprenticeship.
Pathways to Apprenticeship NJ offers free pre-apprenticeship training to low-income and justice-involved residents. NJDOL’s online apprenticeship finder lists additional programs statewide.
Find women who have already done it.
The Princeton chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction and the New Jersey chapter of Professional Women in Construction both hold networking and mentoring events. Speaking with a woman who has spent years on a job site is one of the best ways to learn what the work is really like.
Questions to ask before enrolling
Programs differ, and a few questions can help a prospective participant find the right one.
- Which apprenticeship sponsor or employer is the program partnered with, and how many graduates have they hired?
- Which credential will participants earn?
- What is the schedule, and does it accommodate a current job or childcare needs?
- Does the program offer a stipend, transportation help or childcare assistance?
- Are there any costs, such as union dues, that participants will pay after placement?
This is a great opportunity to build a new career! Visit https://www.nj.gov/labor/career-services/ to get more information!
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