2025 Excellence in Safety Innovation Award
We were presented with the 2025 Excellence in Safety Innovation Award by EMCOR Group, our parent company, in recognition of our Build Right program—an in-house apprenticeship and employee training initiative.
The apprenticeship component of Build Right invites 30 students, typically recent high school graduates, to participate in fourteen weeks of intensive training. The four-stage program includes classroom instruction, hands-on training, mentorship, and specialized trade-specific education. Upon completion, graduates are entered into our long-term apprentice continuance program in order to become fully NCCER-certified journeymen in their trade.
With the success of the apprentice program, we expanded Build Right to include an “Advanced” training program aimed at helping develop existing employees. Site leaders nominate helpers and laborers to join this program, which puts them on a path for NCCER certification.
Safety education is integrated into every aspect of the Build Right program. From safety fundamentals and project safety planning to OSHA-10 Hour and certifications for aerial work, forklifts, and equipment operation, program participants receive thorough safety training. Further, the apprenticeship program provides us an opportunity to instill our unique safety culture and EMCOR’s safety values at the beginning of an employee’s journey in the trades. This helps set a strong foundation for the future and build continuity throughout their time at the company.
More than 100 apprentices have joined our team through the Build Right program, which has a 95-percent graduation rate and 75-percent retention rate. We have built three dedicated training facilities to help support the program—one of which was constructed by Build Right participants as part of their capstone project.
Build Right has helped us significantly improve safety performance and reinforce our safety culture, proving itself as an innovative way to onboard qualified professionals committed to working safely.