LAS VEGAS – The Wyoming Contractors Association's (WCA) McMurry Training Center won the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) National Construction Craft Training Award at AGC's 89th Annual Convention in Las Vegas. WCA founded the Center to provide its members with continuous training of employees and a source of new workers by supporting high school, apprenticeship, and college programs teaching construction crafts and construction technology. The Center also supports the requirements of the federal apprenticeship program.
"AGC recognizes excellence in training each year at the annual Convention," said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer of AGC. "Training is vital to the safety and success of the construction profession, and we applaud WCA for their achievements."
WCA, one of AGC's 96 nationwide Chapters, recently added 22,000 square feet to the McMurry Training Center in Casper, Wyo. The Center offers a unique, customized program using the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) curriculum. Classes include heavy equipment operation, cement mason, welding and CDL trucking, among others, all within the industries of construction, energy and transportation. All McMurry Training Center instructors are certified to teach in their specific field.
The Center, which is 32,000 square feet and sits on 76 acres, has recruited and trained more than 7,000 students in five years, and aims to train 4,000 students each year in the future. All students must pass NCCER written tests with at least a 70 percent score and all performance tests set out in the craft requirements by NCCER. Truck drivers must also pass the DOT written and performance tests.
AGC established the National Construction Craft Training Award in 1985 to recognize outstanding efforts to foster, promote and develop the highest standards and quality for craft training within the construction industry.
The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) is the largest and oldest national construction trade association in the United States. AGC represents 33,000 firms, including 7,500 of America's leading general contractors and 12,500 specialty–contracting firms. More than 13,000 service providers and suppliers are associated with AGC through a nationwide network of chapters. Visit the AGC Web site at www.agc.org. AGC members are "Building Your Quality of Life."
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