The Raymond Career Center is offering a free 300-hour Electrical/Core Construction course June 1 - July 24, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, with additional eight hours of online study on Fridays.  

The Electrical Level 1 course is designed for persons 18 years and older who are unemployed or underemployed, or simply part of the increasing number of high school graduates who are interested in training for a job or career in the construction industry.

Training in this marketable trade consists of classroom instruction along with basic construction job skills, intensive hands-on skill training and on-line computer study.

Graduates of this course receive a permanent transcript and certificate from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and an OSHA 10-Hour certification required by many employers. These credentials are recognized by construction contractors nationwide.

This training is sponsored by the Mississippi Construction Education Foundation (MCEF), an organization that serves Mississippi's construction and maintenance industries.

 "Partnering with the Raymond Career Center provides a unique opportunity to combine the quality learning and lab facilities at the center with an NCCER-certified instructor and a recognized construction curriculum - to bring Mississippi-specific skills to our workforce," said  
Gary Bambauer, MCEF president.

It is hoped that this course will be especially helpful to workers affected by the recessionary layoffs and downsizing.

"People can attend this training during the day and have a better shot at being hired when business picks up and the recession lessens. Those with training will have a competitive edge," said William Hux, president of Moses Electric Services, a leading contractor operating in Jackson, Gulfport, and Pensacola

Classes are open to any interested person through a competitive process at no cost. Funds are provided through a grant from the Gulf Coast Workforce Development Initiative and the Choose Construction Initiative, a joint public-private partnership established to train construction workers to help rebuild the Katrina-devastated Gulf Coast and ensure a sustainable supply of skilled craft workers.

"An important aspect of this training is that it creates an opportunity for Mississippi contractors to hire workers with a craft skill or to train current workers at a higher level, all at no cost to them," said initiative director, Daniel Groves.

To qualify for this training, applicants must be 18 years of age or older, unemployed or underemployed with high school diploma/GED, valid driver's license and transportation and be willing to take a drug test and be willing to work in construction. Students must also have access to a computer for on-line instruction.

Classes will be held at the Raymond Career Center at 14020 Highway 18 in Raymond. Anyone interested in enrolling in this no-cost training should contact Johnny Browder at 601.857.5536 or 601.857-5537 or e-mail at jlbrowder@hindscc.edu. Early inquiry is recommended as pre-registration is required and class enrollment is limited.