The National Center for Construction Education and Research has partnered with the Sustainable Facilities and Infrastructure Research Team of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, Va., to create green training for the construction industry.

This curriculum, titled “Your Role in the Green Environment,” provides fundamental instruction in the green environment, green construction practices and green building rating systems.

“The primary purpose of this module is to provide craft professionals with a fundamental knowledge of green construction principles and methodologies,” said Don Whyte, NCCER president.

The 15-hour introductory course introduces the LEED Green Building Rating System, helps identify construction activities that contribute to a project’s LEED rating, and addresses common construction pitfalls to avoid in achieving LEED certification.

Upon evaluation of this course, NCCER has been recognized as a U.S. Green Building Council Education Provider. NCCER abides by USGCB-established operational and educational criteria and is subject to annual reviews and audits for quality assurance.

The curriculum is also endorsed by Green Advantage and recognized as beneficial to students and practitioners planning to sit for the Green Advantage Commercial/Residential certification exam.

“NCCER is committed to enhancing the ongoing professional development of building industry professionals,” said Daniele Stacey, NCCER product development director. “This curriculum is focused on the ‘green-collar workforce’ and is designed to heighten awareness of the impact each of us have on the environment and how we can lessen that impact through green building.”

Students successfully completing Your Role in the Green Environment through an NCCER Accredited Training Sponsor will earn industry-recognized credentials through the NCCER National Registry. This course will be available August 2008 through Pearson Education.

The U.S. Green Building Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

Green Advantage is an environmental certification for building-related practitioners - primarily contractors, subcontractors and trades people. Launched with funding from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant, Green Advantage is the result of collaboration between the Nature Conservancy, Science Applications International Corporation, and the University of Florida. For more information, visit www.greenadvantage.org.

Headquartered in Gainesville, Fla., NCCER is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) education foundation created by the construction industry to develop standardized curriculum with portable credentials and to help address the skilled construction workforce shortage.