Every day, skilled tradespeople help keep our communities running. They build and maintain the spaces where we live and work, keep essential systems operating, and use specialized skills to solve problems most of us encounter every day.
This National Tradesmen Day, September 18, Goodwill Central Texas is celebrating the people who do this essential work. We’re also highlighting opportunities for Central Texans who are ready to join them.
Through the Goodwill Career & Technical Academy (GCTA), students can gain hands-on skills and industry-recognized credentials that can help them take the first step toward a career in the skilled trades. And with upcoming courses in Green Construction and Weatherization and Pre-Apprentice Plumbing, now is a great time to get started.
Build a Greener Future with Green Construction and Weatherization
Construction is changing as homes and businesses look for new ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. GCTA’s Green Construction and Weatherization program prepares students for entry-level opportunities at the intersection of construction, sustainability, and energy efficiency.
Students learn foundational construction skills along with specialized techniques for making residential buildings more energy efficient, including air sealing, insulation, and weatherization. Training covers construction math, hand and power tools, construction drawings, lighting efficiency, heat loss and gain, air infiltration, insulation, water use, waste management, and other sustainable building practices.
The program combines NCCER Core, NCCER Weatherization, NCCER Your Role in the Green Environment, and OSHA 30 training. This course helps graduates prepare for roles such as weatherization technician, construction laborer, insulation installer, and energy efficiency technician.
The next Green Construction and Weatherization course begins October 26 and runs through November 20, with classes Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Full tuition grants are available for qualifying individuals.
Learn more about Green Construction and Weatherization
Turn Your Skills into Opportunity with Pre-Apprentice Plumbing
If you’re a problem solver who enjoys working with your hands, plumbing can offer another pathway into the skilled trades.
GCTA’s Pre-Apprentice Plumbing Program combines classroom instruction with hands-on training designed to prepare students for entry-level plumbing careers. Students learn plumbing safety and gain experience working with plastic pipe and fittings, copper tube and fittings, cast iron pipe and fittings, and steel pipe and fittings.
The eight-week, 225-hour program also helps students prepare for NCCER certification exams. And support doesn’t stop when class ends. After completing training and passing their certification exam(s), graduates can receive assistance with resume updates, interview preparation, and connections to job opportunities.
The next Pre-Apprentice Plumbing course begins October 19 and runs through December 18, with classes Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Full tuition grants are available for qualifying individuals.
Learn more about Pre-Apprentice Plumbing
Start Building Your Future at GCTA
National Tradesmen Day is an opportunity to recognize the skilled professionals whose work makes a difference in our communities every day. It’s also a reminder that every experienced tradesperson started somewhere.
If you’ve been considering a career change, want to learn practical skills, or are looking for a career that gets you out from behind a desk, GCTA can help you take that first step. Students receive hands-on training, and after graduation, Goodwill provides career guidance designed to help connect them with employment opportunities.
This National Tradesmen Day, don’t just celebrate the people who build, repair, install, and maintain the things our communities depend on. Become one of them!
