Fischer to take over as executive director of New England Carpenters Training Fund

Boston, MA According to The New England Regional Council of Carpenters (NERCC), Lyle Hamm, the executive director of the New England Carpenters Training Fund (NECTF) has accepted a position as senior technical coordinator with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. He will begin work as a senior technical coordinator at the union’s International Training Center in Las Vegas in August.

NECTF has selected Tom Fischer to succeed Hamm as the executive director of the fund. Fischer is a 32-year member of the union. He is currently a technical coordinator for NECTF.

Hamm is a 34-year member of the brotherhood who was named the executive director of NECTF in 2011.

Tom Flynn, executive secretary-treasurer of NERCC, thanked Hamm for his work with NECTF and wished him the best in Las Vegas. “We’re very happy to see the talent and success Lyle has demonstrated here in New England recognized by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters,” he said. “He has been offered a tremendous opportunity and we’re confident our loss will be a tremendous gain for the UBC.”

Bill Maheris of the Building Trades Employers’ Association, who serves as the NECTF co-chairman said the board was also excited about Fischer taking over as executive director. “Tom brings a breadth of experience in construction, teaching, curriculum development and administration. We think his unique combination of skills will benefit our instructors, union members and the employers who rely on the skills and professionalism our programs develop.”

Fischer has extensive experience as both a commercial and residential carpenter and close to twenty years of experience as an educator and administrator in both high school and within the New England Carpenters Training Fund.

At Hopedale High School, he was an Engineering and Design teacher and also served as the Unified Arts department head and a curriculum coordinator.

He worked with the Massachusetts Department of Education and Secondary Schools as a member of the Assessment Development Committee, assisting the department in the review and development of MCAS test questions and scoring rubrics in order to assure alignment with the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks and MCAS performance standards.

For sixteen years he has been an instructor with NECTF, with certifications to teach numerous areas within the program. He developed the curriculum currently being used by NECTF for OSHA 10 and 30-hour Construction Safety course. 

The New England Carpenters Training Fund is jointly administered by labor and management trustees and offers apprenticeship programs and lifelong skills upgrade training for members of locals union affiliated with the New England Regional Council of Carpenters. It operates 14 training centers, including a residential facility in Millbury, Massachusetts.

The union and contractors annually invest $11 million in training, ensuring the most qualified pool of skilled workers in the construction industry. The four-year apprenticeship provides classroom, workshop and jobsite employment experience. Both the apprenticeship and skills upgrade classes are provided at no cost to members, meaning union carpenters earn decent wages and benefits while they train without accumulating tens of thousands of dollars in student debt.

NERCC and NECTF work closely with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters to develop curriculum focused on both technical skills and professional development. They have also created “Career Connections,” a skills and professionalism curriculum used by more than 30 vocational high schools and programs in New England.