In 2015, the program partnered with a local state college. Since that college wasn’t making money from the apprentices’ tuition it decided not to accept state funding and shut down.
“[The NEFBA] decided to take on the school component,” Thomas said, “because we didn’t want our 181 apprentices to lose the program. A private college donated classroom space to us because we simply didn’t have the money for our own facility. When I arrived, I asked, ‘Where’s my school?’ They said, ‘We don’t have one.’”
Students Become the Contractors
In 2024 the NEFBA found an ideal location for its new Workforce Development Center, an old call center that had shut down during COVID and had sufficient parking for 500+ students.
The NEFBA put together a capital campaign and raised money to both purchase and renovate the building. The campaign received support from employers, the local community, the State of Florida (through the Department of Commerce), the City of Jacksonville and several major foundations.
The Jacksonville Jaguars NFL franchise also stepped up to promote the trades in their hometown: the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Foundation (a charitable fund founded by one of the co-owners) and the Jacksonville Jaguar's Community Impact Foundation were both key supporters.
