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Our History

By The
Decade
1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s

NCCER’s roots extend back to the mid-1990s when 11 leading contractors came together to standardize training and provide industry-recognized credentials. In 1996, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit education foundation. Today, NCCER develops curricula in over 40 craft areas that have been used in all 50 states and in 20 countries, and it has more than 1,000 national and international accredited organizations providing NCCER credentials and certifications.

1990s
1991
  • Under the Construction Education Foundation of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), 11 of the nation’s leading contractors come together to address the emerging shortage of skilled workers and begin the process of standardizing curricula and industry-recognized credentials.
  • Core Curriculum releases along with the first five standardized craft curricula: Electrical, Pipefitting, Millwright, Welding and Instrumentation.
1993
  • Master Trainer Instructor Certification Program, Instructor Certification Training Program and Accreditation Guidelines release.
  • First 53 organizations apply for accreditation.
  • First module completion is recorded in the Registry System.
1994
  • Fluor and Brown & Root each pledge $1 million in contributions to establish NCCER.
1995
  • More than 125 construction industry association and academic leaders lay the groundwork for the creation of NCCER at the Aspen Summit.
  • Prentice Hall (now Pearson) becomes NCCER’s publishing partner.
1996
  • The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) becomes an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational foundation on Jan. 1, 1996, and Gainesville, Florida, is selected as the headquarters.
  • Partners with Dell Computers to offer a desktop computer system that operates CD-ROMs of Core and Electrical curricula.
  • Officially begins offering credentials, certificates, wallet cards and transcripts.
  • BE&K, Dan Vos Construction, Fluor Daniel, Hess Mechanical, Ivey Mechanical, Nova Group and TDIndustries sign the first National Training Service Agreements.
1997
  • Launches website at nccer.org.
  • Business Roundtable endorses NCCER as a method of delivering training curricula, performance standards and certification to the industry and recommends that all owners require evidence of craft training as a qualifier for contractor selection.
  • The Construction Innovation Forum awards NCCER the NOVA award for successfully uniting the construction industry under one training program.
  • Build Your Future’s (BYF) satellite teleconference promoting construction careers broadcasts to more than 300,000 students among nearly 4,000 schools.
1998
  • Partners with Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (now SkillsUSA).
  • Partners with American Vocational Association (now the Association for Career and Technical Education).
1999
  • Prentice Hall publishes Core Curriculum in Spanish.
  • KBR (formerly Brown & Root) contributes another $1 million.
2000s
2001
  • The Registry System processes the one millionth module completion.
2002
  • Establishes Accredited Training and Education Facilities for secondary and postsecondary institutions.
  • Rebrands product line as Contren Learning Series.
  • Partners with the American Petroleum Institute to develop curricula and assessments for the pipeline industry and launches the Pipeline Training and Assessment Program.
2004
  • Partners with Prov to deliver assessments.
2005
  • BYF launches the first career website and the first annual Careers in Construction Week.
2006
  • Releases six curricula through Pearson’s online platform branded Contren Connect.
  • After Hurricane Katrina, the GREAT (Gulf Rebuild: Education, Advancement and Training) campaign launches and nearly 24,000 participants along the Gulf Coast complete training during the three-year campaign with an 84 percent placement rate.
2007
  • NCCER, Prov and North American Crane Bureau partner to introduce the Mobile Crane Operator Certification Program.
  • Enhances and renames wallet cards the Blue Card for individuals who successfully complete training and assessments.
  • Participates on the Construction Industry Institute’s Research Team 231: Construction Industry Craft Training in the U.S. and Canada.
2008
  • Establishes the Construction Education Champion award for industry professionals with at least 10 years of service to NCCER who have made significant contributions to construction education and workforce development efforts.
  • Mobile Crane Operator Certification Program receives ANSI accreditation.
  • Becomes a U.S. Green Building Council education provider and releases Your Role in the Green Environment.
2009
  • Over 1 million modules are completed in a single year for the first time.
  • Begins publishing The Cornerstone magazine.
  • Creates social media accounts on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
2010s
2010
  • Releases a custom bookbuild database and Instructor Resource Center through Pearson.
  • Launches the NCCER eStore with branded NCCER apparel, signs and other merchandise.
  • Begins sponsoring the carpentry competition at the national SkillsUSA Championships.
2011
  • Opens new, fully owned headquarters in Alachua, Florida.
  • BYF expands from a career education campaign to a full recruitment and image enhancement initiative. As part of this expansion, BYF:
    • launches BYF.org
    • unveils new branding and logo design
    • creates social media account on Facebook and Twitter
    • establishes a five-year sponsorship deal with NASCAR driver David Starr
    • develops a state partnership with Louisiana
    • hosts the first annual Scramble for Skills golf tournament.
2012
  • Holds first international Master Trainer session and international audit.
  • Online assessments become the prevalent way of delivering assessments instead of paper.
  • The board of trustees formally dedicates NCCER’s new headquarters at a ceremony in Alachua, Florida, and the building receives LEED Silver Building Certification from USGBC.
  • The Cornerstone magazine is available online at nccercornerstone.org.
  • Renames curricula line the NCCER Curriculum from Contren Learning Series, and Contren Connect becomes NCCERconnect.
2013
  • Careers in Construction Week extends throughout the month of October to become Careers in Construction Month.
  • Enhances instructor resources to include comprehensive lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations.
  • Begins sponsoring the masonry competition at the national SkillsUSA Championships.
  • Launches the online bookstore for customers to build, save, print and place orders online.
  • Sponsors Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Pathways to Prosperity project, leading to the development of the Construction Career Pathways initiative.
  • BYF develops crosswalks to compare military occupational specialty codes with NCCER training.
2014
  • Releases the Contractors Workforce Development Assessment with the Construction Users Roundtable.
  • BYF introduces the Hard Hat Heroes military initiative, and NCCER is recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama at the Veterans’ Employment in Construction Symposium in Washington, D.C. as a major contributor in developing a fast track for civilian employment.
  • The Build Your Future scholarship program is funded and scholarships are awarded through:
    • Associated Builders and Contractors
    • Associated General Contractors of America
    • Folds of Honor Foundation
  • Build Your Future challenges groups such as the Human Resources Construction Council, Southeastern Construction Owners and Associates Roundtable and local user councils to match BYF contributions for additional scholarships.
  • Releases Breaking Ground: The NCCER Blog.
2015
  • Releases the Testing Management System to provide online module testing, registry submissions and test results.
  • Creates a new global template for all new and revised curricula complete with metric conversions and international features.
  • Construction Career Pathways initiative expands to include its own website and a connection map to facilitate education and industry collaboration locally.
2016
  • NCCER celebrates its 20th anniversary.
  • Build Your Future develops a state partnership with Indiana.
  • Cornerstone Magazine releases a commemorative issue highlighting NCCER’s 20th anniversary.
  • NCCER releases an updated Registry System.
2017
  • The online testing system was launched.
  • NCCER launched the first “a la carte” Pipeline Operator Qualification (OQ) covered task training/qualification.
2018
  • “Restoring the Dignity of Work: Transforming the U.S. Workforce Development System into a World Leader” was published after an extensive three years of research, led by NCCER and the Construction Industry Institute and supported by Construction Users Roundtable (CURT), Ironworkers/IMPACT and representatives from CII member firms.
  • A new partnership — Build Your Future Virginia — was formed between the Virginia chapters of the AGC and ABC.
2019
  • Build Your Future Arizona was established through a private-sector, industry-driven campaign of the Greater Phoenix Chamber.
  • The NCCER Testing System interface was translated into Spanish, French and Russian to support both domestic and global programs.
2020s
2020
  • NCCER provided resources, such as remote proctoring and free online craft module tests, to help our accredited network during the pandemic.
  • Surpassed over 20 million all-time module completions by more than 1.53 million students and trainees.
  • The assessment platform was brought in-house, and all assessments are now electronically delivered.
  • 150 companies and organizations pledged to connect with students during Careers in Construction Month.
  • Boyd Worsham was appointed chief executive officer and president.
2021
  • The NCCER Board of Trustees approved an investment of more than $4 million in the significant growth of the organization.
  • All module testing is moved completely online through NCCER Testing System.
  • After 25 years of credentialing, NCCER is launching a new era of credentials via digital badges.
  • NCCER launched the Journeyman Electrician Test Prep.
  • Build Your Future launched a new website with resources for students, families, educators and industry representatives all in one place.
2022
  • NCCER established its own in-house Research department to gather, analyze and share important insights for the construction industry.
  • New online accreditation training courses for Sponsor Representatives, Administrators and other personnel were implemented through the NCCER Learning Platform.
  • Build Your Future (BYF) launched CareerStarter, a free online tool for creating direct connections between entry-level job seekers, training programs and employment opportunities.
  • NCCER’s first podcast, The Builders’ Table, began publishing weekly episodes to engage the construction industry in important conversations to drive our industry forward.
  • Eight programs were chosen to receive the inaugural NCCER Core Toolbox Equipment Grant.
  • NCCER was named an inaugural recipient of the Stanley Black & Decker Makers Grant.
2023
  • Publishes “In Her Own Words: Improving Project Outcomes” to assist employers with recruiting, hiring and retaining women in craft positions.
  • Releases the Construction Superintendent Certification Program, a new 16-course program to assist contractors in developing and certifying superintendents.
  • NCCER streamlines many of its processes and systems to enhance user experience for accredited organizations.
  • NCCER unveils new brand identity, enhanced website, and revised mission and vision.
  • In 2023, NCCER delivered more than 2.4 million module tests in our module testing systems (TAO).
  • The High School Builder Program (HSBP) launches to provide guidance and support for schools starting a construction CTE program.
  • NCCER teams up with Lowe’s to create the Rapid Recovery Construction Academy. The program supports the Southwest Florida area in ongoing restoration efforts after Hurricane Ian.