Waterfront Training Center
Camden Carpentry Program
2024 Annual Report
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In 2023, the Shipyard Museum held four 8-week carpentry training classes and graduated
twenty-six (26) young adults aged between 17 and 27. In 2024, with improved recruitment and
retention efforts, we graduated forty-three (43) young adults, a 60% increase. In December 2024,
the Heart of Camden awarded our program the “Best Neighborhood Workforce Development
Program: Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship.”
Summary of Program
Students are taught by retired carpentry union member Cornelius Duffy, who brings over 30
years of residential and commercial experience in the program.
Our curriculum, designed by Tom Kulp, a registered professional structural engineer, focuses on
three key areas:
General life skills
General career skills
Specific carpentry trade skills
The course structure is project-based, with the following timeline:
Week 1: Building park benches. Students create simple structures using cut-to-length 2x material
assembled with wood screws.
Weeks 2-3: Building picnic tables. This involves more complex tasks such as laying out and
cutting angles and deducing measurements from overall dimensions.
Weeks 4-8: Constructing shed structures. These projects encompass carpentry elements found in
custom homes, such as floor joists and decking, wall studs and sheathing, roof rafters and
decking, and rough window and door openings. Students also learn to install vinyl windows, site-
built doors, siding, shingle roofing, exterior trim, and house wrap.
Students acquire essential carpentry skills, such as using power tools and applying geometry,
while creating park benches, picnic tables, garden boxes, toolboxes, and 10’ x 10’ storage sheds.
Volunteers assist three afternoons per week to enhance the learning experience.
Tom Kulp also leads a math program based on the “Math for Carpenters” curriculum developed
by the carpentry union. During the first three weeks, students participate in a one-hour weekly
session on career counseling using the United Brotherhood of Carpenters’ “One Trade, Many
Careers” presentation.
Students benefit from financial literacy seminars, mock interview practice, resume development,
job recommendations, meetings with potential employers, and job coaching. Two local banks
assist with financial literacy training. The program administrator produces resumes and oversees
the mock interviews.
All students receive reference letters and personal referrals to contractors, builders, and related
businesses based on their skills and work ethic.
Student Recruitment
The Camden Housing Authority referred to our initial students. After the third cohort,
word-of-mouth and outreach efforts, including community bulletin boards and partnerships with
neighborhood organizations like the Heart of Camden, expanded our reach. We now serve
students from Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington Counties. The program is open to individuals
aged 17-27, including those without a high school diploma, formerly incarcerated individuals,
and people of all genders. While we do not yet accept current high school students, we plan to
launch a program for high school graduates in the summer of 2025.
Post-Graduation Success
Two graduates have joined the Carpenters Union Apprenticeship Program, one of whom also
completed underwater welding SCUBA training. A union carpentry shop sponsors another. Additionally:
Two graduates joined the Philadelphia Shipyard pre-apprentice program.
Five students secured carpentry-related employment.
Several graduates are pursuing interviews with cabinet-making shops.
Many students report that life skills training, resume building, and interview practice have
boosted their confidence and career readiness. Some have pursued further vocational education,
including welding and CDL training. Others have transitioned into diverse roles, such as
Certified Nurse Assistants or warehouse positions at Amazon and FedEx.
Pride in Their Products
Students take pride in creating quality products, including benches, garden boxes, picnic tables,
and sheds. These items are sold at cost, with proceeds reinvested into the program. Purchasers
include private individuals, Bartram’s Garden, the Borough of Mt. Ephraim, Haddon Township,
the Camden County Historical Society, and Urban Promise.
Next Steps
To enhance program effectiveness, we distributed a survey to graduates to track their
employment, education, and milestones. The feedback will guide future improvements.
We are collaborating with Urban Promise to host a summer program for 17-18-year-old high
school graduates, aiming to strengthen ties with local schools.
The Carpenters Union is partnering with us to identify candidates from Camden, Atlantic City,
and South Jersey for three 12-week training sessions in 2025 and 2026 at their Hammonton
facility. This initiative is funded by the New Jersey Department of Economic Development, with
the Shipyard Museum as a grant subrecipient.
To diversify funding, we have applied for New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce
Development grants to support the program and subsidize graduate employment with local
contractors. We expect notification of grant awards by March 2025.
Conclusion
The Shipyard Museum’s Camden Carpentry Program continues to refine its approach to
teaching, recruitment, retention, and post-graduation placements. In 2025, our goals include
diversifying income streams, improving data collection, and balancing support for young adults
and recent high school graduates.
Thank you to our sponsors for making a lasting difference in our students’ lives.
