NY JUMPstarts Technician Careers
New York City's Joint Urban Manpower Program (JUMP) uses NICET certification to establish a career path for its trainees while qualifying them for employment with engineering firms that have NYS-DOT engineering agreements. JUMP is a cooperative effort by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS-DOT), New York City College of Technology (City Tech), and the New York consulting engineering community.
| Jump is exclusive for its unique area of training," says Maria M. Ramirez, Compliance Specialist for NYS-DOT/Construction's Equal Opportunity Development and Compliance Unit. "In my opinion, NICET is the qualifier and the NICET advantage is that those certified will have their achievement recognized nationally," says Ramirez, who has over 30 years of experience in economic development in building and transportation construction. "To me, NICET is an institute with high demands to ensure quality by those that have been empowered through their success and certification in the engineering technology field." |
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Since its creation in 1968, JUMP has prepared almost 1000 disadvantaged but motivated young adults for careers as engineering technicians in highway construction inspection and computer-aided drafting.
"JUMP was developed by engineering societies and associations to provide young people access to the world of engineering," says JUMP Program Coordinator Dorothy Solomon. "By preparing students to become engineering technicians, they are able to fulfill their dreams and potential while learning a vocation and earning a salary."
The program recruits and pre-screens females, minorities, and disadvantaged individuals, and refers them for interviews with participating New York area engineering firms. Each firm, which must meet contractual equal opportunity and affirmative action training requirements as part of its NYS-DOT engineering agreements, selects the candidate who best fulfills its needs. Upon completing a specialized course of classroom instruction at City Tech and on-the-job training in the field, the JUMP graduate continues his/her position as an entry-level engineering technician with the firm.
JUMP trainees receive a full salary and benefits throughout the two-part training course. City Tech provides ten to eleven weeks of classroom instruction in highway construction inspection and computer-aided drafting, basic math, and life skills. The employer provides on-the-job training under the direct supervision of a construction inspector, engineer, or senior drafter. The college dispenses ongoing counseling to the trainees and maintains contact with their employers throughout the program.
JUMP helps the trainees and their employers fulfill another NYS-DOT consultant contract requirement: NICET Level II technician certification. "At minimum, a NICET Level II certification is required for employment with a firm working on a NYS-DOT contract," says Maria M. Ramirez, Compliance Specialist for NYS-DOT/Construction's Equal Opportunity Development and Compliance Unit. JUMP participants "are expected to complete their NICET Level II requirements within two years of their training in order to reach a level of marketability in their field."
After training, JUMP graduates are encouraged to advance in their career paths by achieving advanced NICET certification and taking classes in Construction Management/Civil Engineering Technology (or even becoming a matriculated student) at City Tech, says Solomon. "We have numerous trainees who have earned Level III NICET certification and have been employed for many years who come back to speak to our new trainees."
JUMP's curriculum was redesigned in 2001 when City Tech replaced Vocational Foundation Inc. as the program's administrator. The new curriculum was developed by Tony Cioffi, PE, a professor in the college's Department of Construction Management/Civil Engineering Technology, and other City Tech faculty members. Support was provided by Co-Chairs Mel Stein of Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. and Bob Samson formerly of Vollmer Associates (now Stantec) and the JUMP Board of Directors, which is made up of members of the engineering community. ("The engineers who serve on our Board of Directors have really taken an interest in the students and the program," says Solomon.) The curriculum is approved by and funded by the NYS-DOT. NICET is currently providing guidance and helping JUMP measure the effectiveness of its new curriculum.
JUMP can be contacted by phone at 718-552-1128, email sswiney@citytech.cuny.edu or by mail at Attn: Sandra Swiney, JUMP, New York City College of Technology, 300 Jay Street, Howard Building, 4th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Related links:
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New York State Department of Transportation
New York City College of Technology
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