Rowan, NABTU expand career options for tradespeople, establish Building Trades Academy at University

Rowan University and North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) committed Feb. 27 to expanding a relationship to advance career opportunities for members of 15 national labor organizations, 14 in the U.S. and one in Canada.

The agreement, formalized during a signing ceremony on Rowan’s Glassboro campus, establishes NABTU’s Building Trades Academy (BTA) at the University, creating a structure through which union members across North America can take professional development courses.

In addition to taking non-credit professional development classes in conference settings, union members have opportunities through the partnership to earn stackable Certificates of Undergraduate Studies (CUGS) and full degrees via Rowan Online, the University's web-based education portal.

Rowan, which is providing union members affiliated with NABTU a special tuition rate, offers a wide range of educational options geared toward the building trades including:

• three stackable undergraduate construction certificates
• two graduate certificates in engineering management
• a BA in construction management
• a Master of Engineering Management (MEM)

The certificates are considered “stackable” because as students complete one or more they may apply credits earned to the next, higher-level program.

University Provost Tony Lowman said partnerships such as those forged with NABTU support a commitment by Rowan President Ali Houshmand to increase access to high quality, affordable higher education while boosting the economic impact of a well-educated workforce.

“We are providing more options. No longer will high school graduates have to choose a college degree or a trade. You can have both,” Lowman said.

Rowan Associate Provost for Academic Strategic Initiatives Lorraine Ricchezza said through the partnership, union members can take in-person courses around the country with faculty affiliated with the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering.

“As the new home for the BTA, Rowan will serve as many as 3,000 union members annually,” Ricchezza said.

Ricchezza also said grants of up to $7,200 are available for working people returning to school through the TradesFutures program at Rowan.

The BTA, which originated at the National Labor College near Washington, D.C., was founded by the AFL-CIO to serve the professional development needs of organized labor. The college closed in 2014, the same year Rowan launched its BA in Construction Management in partnership with NABTU.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 reported that college graduates earned roughly $31,000 more on average than workers with only a high school diploma.

NABTU President Sean McGarvey said the organization, which is affiliated with such organizations as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the Laborers’ International Union of North America, is deeply committed to professional development for all workers.

"This exciting partnership between Rowan University and NABTU will continue expanding career opportunities for hardworking unionized building trades members,” McGarvey said. “By providing access to professional development courses and education credits, we’ll keep empowering construction professionals to strengthen their skills, advance their careers, and achieve their academic goals—all while ensuring affordability and accessibility. The sky’s the limit for those who seize this opportunity, and we look forward to hearing the success stories that will emerge from the accelerated pathways created by the Building Trades Academy and this partnership.”

Said U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, “as a former apprentice and union electrician, I know the value of education and hands-on training. This partnership between Rowan and NABTU creates a clear path from apprenticeship to higher education, empowering workers to advance their careers and build the future. It’s a win for workers, unions and South Jersey.”

The NABTU partnership expands Rowan’s commitment to support professional development for tradespeople. Last summer and fall, Rowan signed education agreements with both IBEW Local 98 in Philadelphia and IBEW Local 102 in Parsippany.