New Scholarship Available for Craft Training Students

ALACHUA, FLA., May 11, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NCCER and its Build Your Future (BYF) initiative have recently partnered with The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and its AGC Education and Research Foundation to create a national BYF scholarship program for deserving individuals pursuing a career in construction through craft and technical programs.

Scholarships are valued at $1,000 per year for each recipient and can be renewed for up to two years. Applications are due by June 15, 2015 for the 2015-2016 academic year. To apply online, visit AGC Education and Research Foundation's website at www.AGCFoundation.org and click on the 2015 Craft and Technical School Scholarship Application button on the right-hand side of the page. Finalists will be notified in July and winners announced in September. Awards will be dispersed at the start of the 2015-2016 academic year.

"We are delighted to add this new scholarship opportunity to the tools we offer students and faculty as they prepare to enter our exciting industry," said Bob Bowen, president of the AGC Education and Research Foundation. "We are appreciative of NCCER's efforts to help us expand our reach to another segment of the workforce."

Scholarships like this promote training opportunities for individuals to build successful construction careers within an industry that supports learning and achievement. Careers in construction are viable options for individuals, and the Build Your Future scholarship program is proud to assist those seeking craft training opportunities or construction-related degrees.

For more information or to apply for a Build Your Future scholarship, please visit www.byf.org/scholarships.

About NCCER — NCCER is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) education foundation created by the construction industry to develop standardized curriculum with portable credentials and to help address the skilled construction workforce shortage. NCCER is recognized by the industry as the training, assessment, certification and career development standard for the construction and maintenance craft professional. For more information, visit www.nccer.org or contact NCCER customer service at 888.622.3720.

About Build Your Future – Build Your Future (BYF) is NCCER's national image enhancement and recruitment initiative for the construction industry. Its mission is to recruit the next generation of craft professionals by making career and technical education a priority in secondary schools, shifting negative public perception about careers in the construction industry and providing a path from ambition, to training, to job placement as a craft professional. BYF provides a number of resources to assist industry, education and military organizations in achieving these goals. For more information, visit www.byf.org.

About AGC Education and Research Foundation – The AGC Education and Research Foundation was founded by members of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the leading association for the construction industry that represents more than 33,000 firms, including 7,500 of America's leading general contractors, and over 12,500 specialty-contracting firms. Scholarships are funded through donations and endowments made by AGC members. For more information, visit www.agcfoundation.org.