2023 Recap: NCCER’s Products, Programs and Resources Year in Review

The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) celebrated many major achievements in 2023. Along with refreshing our brand, launching a new website, and numerous other milestones, we also worked toward our mission of providing rigorous and relevant workforce development solutions by releasing several new or updated products.

 

New Programs

Construction Superintendent Certification Program – This formal certification program provides contractors with practical resources to train and qualify their field leaders in critical areas of business and leadership. Sixteen engaging courses provide practical and usable real-world lessons on key topics such as scheduling, contracts, risk management, legal regulations, site logistics, and many more.

High School Builder Program – Designed specifically for schools that are just starting their construction CTE journey, the High School Builder Program is a new easy-to-implement and cost-effective model for secondary schools to become registered NCCER training providers, allowing them to offer industry-recognized credentials to their students.

Bundle Extractor Technician Training – This four-course, fully online training program teaches professionals how to safely and efficiently operate heat exchanger bundle extractors. The program features NCCER’s first-ever employer-issued credentials. Open to all employers, the program does not require an organization to be an accredited training sponsor to deliver the training.

 

Updated Curriculum

Electrical, 11th Edition – The most robust revision of NCCER’s Electrical curriculum to date, the 11th edition includes alignment with 2023 electrical codes, newly updated content and extensive interactive features.

Fundamentals of Crew Leadership, 4^th Edition – The fourth edition takes a modern approach to leadership principles, team motivation, safety leadership, and project scheduling and resource management. It also includes new content on building and leading diverse teams, transitioning from peer to leader, addressing performance issues and managing conflict.

Millwright, 4^th Edition – NCCER’s Millwright curriculum moves to four total levels in the completed fourth edition, reduced from five levels from previous editions to fit within a standard four-year industry training program. More than 100 hours of elective modules are available for longer programs to cover more in-depth training.

Sprinkler Fitting, 4^th Edition – The full fourth edition of Sprinkler Fitting was completed in 2023. The revised curriculum contains key updates to reflect modern tools, approaches and best practices, and all content has been updated to remain consistent with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13 code.

Introduction to Solar Photovoltaics, 2^nd Edition – Released as a standalone offering this summer, this introductory course is the first module of NCCER’s upcoming Solar Photovoltaic Installer curriculum. The module is aligned with the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners® (NABCEP®) Photovoltaic Associate™ certification test, helping to provide the training required by many states for jobs in the solar sector.

Drywall, 2^nd Edition, Level 1 – The second edition of NCCER’s Drywall Level 1 curriculum features a rebalanced focus between wood framing and cold-formed steel framing ensures valuable coverage of both residential and commercial drywall applications.

Plumbing, 5^th Edition, Level 2 – The second of four levels in the Plumbing program, this title builds upon the basics of plumbing introduced in Level 1 with coverage of more advanced skills and knowledge.

Welding, 6^th Edition, Level 2 – The second level of the four-part Welding curriculum continues trainee progression with additional welding techniques and technologies.

 

Spanish Translations

These recently updated titles were released in Spanish versions this year:

• Fundamentals of Crew Leadership, 4th Edition
• HVACR, 6^th Edition, Level 1
• Plumbing, Fifth Edition, Level 1

 

Digital Resources

Online Pipeline Covered Task Training Courses – NCCER’s Pipeline program added new Operator Qualification (OQ) training for individual Covered Tasks. By the end of 2023, courses for more than 200 Covered Tasks will be available.

NCCERconnect Core 6^th Edition Enhancements – Updates to the NCCERconnect course for Core take this already robust training curriculum even further by introducing additional learning assets to enhance learners’ application and understanding of the material while empowering instructors with valuable resources.

NCCERconnect Core + Level 1 Series – This new NCCERconnect product line includes all the content from Core and the first level of a craft in a single online course. This streamlined structure makes it easier for instructors to deliver both titles within a single calendar year. Titles released in this series in 2023 include:

• Core + HVACR Level 1
• Core + Plumbing Level 1
• Core + Welding Level 1
• Core + General Carpentry
• Core + Electrical Level 1

Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep – Updated to reflect 2023 codes, the new edition of NCCER’s electrical licensing exam preparation includes practice exams and questions, test-taking tips and more resources to assist aspiring journey-level electricians in earning their local license.

Additional NCCERconnect Courses – Other recently updated curricula received their corresponding NCCERconnect course, including:

• Electrical, 11^th Edition, Levels 1-4
• Millwright, 4^th Edition, Levels 1-4
• Plumbing, 5^th Edition, Level 2

 

Stay Updated on Recent and Upcoming Products

NCCER and Pearson are continuously working on developing and publishing the most relevant and engaging construction training materials.

For a behind-the-scenes glimpse at our recent releases, upcoming revisions and future projects, visit and bookmark NCCER’s new Annual Roadmap page.

 

Want to be the first to learn about new NCCER products? Click here to sign up for email updates.