National Center for Construction Education and Research

What National Center for Construction Education and Research does

The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation founded in 1996 and headquartered in Alachua, Florida. NCCER develops and maintains standardized construction craft training curricula, assessments, and industry-recognized credentials across all major construction trades, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, masonry, carpentry, drywall, pipelaying, heavy equipment operations, industrial maintenance, and emerging areas such as solar PV and maritime construction.

The organization's product portfolio is anchored by NCCERconnect, a digital learning platform supporting self-paced, facilitator-led, and hybrid course delivery, complemented by automated remote proctoring for assessments and the BuilderFax mobile wallet for digital credential sharing and verification. NCCER has issued 26.2M+ successful training completions and credentials through a network of 1,105 accredited organizations delivering 1,489 accredited programs across 5,642 points of delivery. The organization also publishes the Construction Craft Salary Survey, produces The Builders' Table podcast, and operates workforce development initiatives including Build Your Future (BYF), CareerStarter, Hard Hat Heroes (veterans), Community Construction Academies, and the High School Builder Program.

NCCER operates a diversified revenue model spanning curriculum and book sales (one-time license), assessment and testing fees (usage-based), program accreditation fees (recurring subscription), professional certifications, and philanthropic donations from corporate partners. Its go-to-market relies primarily on a channel-partner model delivering through accredited training centers, high school CTE programs, postsecondary institutions, construction contractors, industry associations, government entities, corrections departments, and pipeline operators. Customer segments span enterprise contractors (e.g., Turner Construction, Griffin Electric), community colleges (e.g., Dallas College, Wake Tech), workforce development agencies, and individual learners seeking industry-recognized credentials.

Name

National Center for Construction Education and Research

Legal name

National Center for Construction Education and Research

Website

https://nccer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops construction training curricula, assessments, and industry-recognized credentials, serving contractors, high schools, postsecondary institutions, government, and pipeline operators through 1,105 accredited organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Education and Credentialing Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction, Engineering & Skilled Trades Licensure Prep (EDAAANAL), Skilled Trades, Safety & Compliance Certification Prep (OSHA, HAZMAT, welding, electrical, HVAC) (EDANAIAM), Industry-Specific Technical & Certification Prep (e.g., Construction, Manufacturing, Energy) (EDAGANAN)

Keywords

• Construction craft training
• Industry-recognized credentials
• Workforce development solutions
• Construction education programs
• Craft professional accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Alachua

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Curriculum and Book Sales: NCCER sells training books, modules, and educational materials to accredited organizations and training centers. Materials cover all major construction crafts including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, masonry, and more.
2. Assessment and Testing Fees: Fees charged for module tests, journey-level assessments, and credentialing exams administered through NCCER's testing system.
3. Program Accreditation Fees: Fees for organizations seeking and maintaining NCCER accreditation status, including accreditation of training programs and assessment sites.
4. Certifications: Revenue from issuing industry-recognized credentials including Construction Foreman Certification, Construction Superintendent Certification, Crane/Rigger/Signal Person Certifications, and other professional certifications.
5. Donations and Philanthropy: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, NCCER receives donations and grants from corporate partners and foundations to support workforce development initiatives, scholarships, and program expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

NCCER develops, publishes, and sells standardized construction craft training curricula, module-level assessments, and industry-recognized credentials to accredited training organizations, educational institutions, contractors, and government entities. Deliveries are made through NCCERconnect, the organization's online learning platform that supports self-paced, facilitator-led, and hybrid course formats, with automated remote proctoring for assessments and the BuilderFax mobile wallet for digital credential verification. The organization also accredits training programs and issues certifications for construction foremen, superintendents, and crane/rigger/signal persons across all major trades including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, masonry, carpentry, drywall, and pipeline operations.

Product overview

NCCER is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education foundation providing construction industry education, assessments, credentials and accreditation. The organization operates a platform-plus-modules architecture built around NCCERconnect, its digital learning platform delivering online courses with automated remote proctoring for assessments. The core product portfolio includes Construction Leadership Series (featuring Construction Foreman Certification and Construction Superintendent Certification), industry-recognized credentials across construction crafts, and specialized training programs for pipeline, agricultural technology, and corrections sectors. Supporting offerings include CareerStarter workforce platform, Build Your Future initiative, BuilderFax mobile wallet for digital credentials, HammerMath and HammerBuild educational tools, Community Construction Academies, High School Builder Program, and Hard Hat Heroes veteran program. The NCCER Level Tests provide standardized assessments, while Translated Resources deliver curriculum in Spanish and other languages. The organization also publishes the Construction Craft Salary Survey and produces The Builders' Table Podcast. With 26.2M+ successful training completions across 1,105 accredited organizations, NCCER credentials span all construction trades with 1,489 accredited training programs delivered through 5,642 points of delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Build Your Future (BYF): NCCER's initiative focused on connecting individuals to construction career opportunities
• CareerStarter
• CraftPro
• HammerMath
• HammerBuild
• NCCERconnect

Products and services

• NCCERconnect Online Learning Platform NCCERconnect is NCCER's digital learning platform offering online construction craft courses with automated remote proctoring, supporting self-paced, facilitator-led, and hybrid delivery for accredited organizations and craft professionals.
• Construction Foreman Certification Construction Foreman Certification is a 5-course certification program designed for new and existing frontline supervisors, providing the foundation for a foreman's first role in field leadership.
• Construction Superintendent Certification Construction Superintendent Certification is a 16-course ACCE-accredited program enhancing practical knowledge with additional construction management, business acumen, leadership, and communication skills, including a National Facilitator Cohort option.
• Crane, Rigger & Signal Person Certifications Crane, Rigger & Signal Person Certifications provide industry-recognized credentials for crane operators, riggers, and signal persons in construction operations.
• Construction Site Safety Training Program Construction Site Safety Training Program delivers comprehensive safety credentials covering site safety topics for construction workers and supervisors.
• Agricultural Technology Training Program Agricultural Technology is a training program developed in coordination with the National FFA Organization covering agricultural technology applications in construction and adjacent trades.
• Pipeline Training Program Pipeline Program provides specialized training and covered task/operator qualification courses for pipeline industry workers, supporting regulatory compliance and safety standards.
• Industry-Recognized Construction Craft Credentials NCCER's industry-recognized credentials span all construction trades including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, masonry, carpentry, drywall, millwright, sprinkler fitting, concrete, and roofing, awarded to craft professionals who complete standardized training and pass assessments.
• Curriculum Books and Modules (Craft Catalogs) Curriculum books and training modules covering all major construction crafts, available individually or in sets, sold to accredited training organizations, contractors, and educational institutions.
• NCCER Module Tests and Journey-Level Assessments NCCER module tests and journey-level assessments provide standardized, proctored evaluations of craft professional competency, available through testing centers and via remote proctoring on NCCERconnect.
• Translated Curriculum Resources (Spanish Editions) Translated Resources provide NCCER curriculum and training materials in Spanish and other languages, including editions for core, roofing, concrete, electrical, plumbing, HVACR, power line worker, welding, and millwright programs.
• Apprenticeship Assistance Program Apprenticeship Assistance is a service helping organizations establish and run apprenticeship programs using NCCER curricula, assessments, and credentialing frameworks.
• Construction Leadership Series Construction Leadership Series delivers online leadership programs for construction professionals, offering self-paced, facilitator-led, or hybrid options to develop essential leadership skills and includes the Construction Foreman and Superintendent certification tracks.
• Program Accreditation Services Program Accreditation is an annual subscription service that evaluates and accredits training organizations, programs, and assessment sites against NCCER's standards, enabling them to deliver NCCER curricula and administer credentialing assessments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26.2M+ successful training completions demonstrating scale and reach
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• COABEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCCER COABE Strategic Partnership focused on adult education and workforce development alignment between construction industry needs and adult education programs.
• CareerSafeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to recognize safety credentials in coordination with NCCER's construction safety programs.
• HVAC ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop HVACR education resources in coordination with NCCER's HVAC curriculum.
• National FFA OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with National FFA and National Council for Agricultural Education to build a credentialed talent pipeline for construction and agricultural technology careers.
• If I Had A Hammer, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring an exciting approach to math comprehension using HammerMath curriculum integrated with NCCER training.
• BCSP (Board of Certified Safety Professionals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership strengthens construction safety and career pathways through credential alignment and collaboration.
• Explore The TradesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to launch free Career Co-Kit during CTE Month to promote construction careers.
• LSU OnlineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch Construction Leadership Certification Programs combining NCCER certifications with LSU Online's platform.
• Meta and ABCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch academy to train and create jobs for construction craft professionals.
• EnGenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch English Pathway supporting construction foreman advancement for all craft professionals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• WorkHands: Emerging player — digital platform focused on the construction trades workforce that connects craft professionals with employers and tracks credentials, potentially competing with NCCER's CareerStarter and BuilderFax offerings.
• Milwaukee Tool / DEWALT Trades Education Programs: Emerging player — major tool manufacturers investing in skilled-trades training and recruitment (DEWALT Grow the Trades) directly adjacent to NCCER's workforce-development mission and an existing financial partner.

Regional players

• International Training Institute (ITI) for the Union Construction Industry: Regional player — provides accredited craft training for union-affiliated construction workers; comparable curriculum and credentialing model but oriented toward unionized contractors rather than NCCER's open-network approach.

Direct peers

• HVAC Excellence: Direct peer — national accreditation body for HVACR education programs that collaborates with NCCER on HVAC curriculum and credentials, serving the same postsecondary and contractor audiences.
• American Welding Society (AWS): Direct peer — sets welding certification standards widely recognized across the construction industry; competes and complements NCCER's welding curriculum and assessments for welders and welding educators.
• CareerSafe: Direct peer — provider of OSHA-compliant safety training and credentials for young workers; existing strategic partner of NCCER for safety credential alignment and competing for the same construction site safety training budget.
• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): Direct peer — trade association that runs its own apprenticeship and craft training programs through local chapters, overlapping with NCCER's contractor and high school segments (ABC and NCCER also partner on Meta-funded initiatives).
• National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO): Direct peer — nonprofit credentialing body that administers nationally recognized certifications for crane operators, riggers, and signal persons, overlapping directly with NCCER's Crane, Rigger & Signal Person Certifications.

Broad incumbents

• Pearson VUE: Broad incumbent — global computer-based testing network that administers certifications across industries; competes indirectly as an alternative delivery mechanism for NCCER-style standardized assessments at scale.
• Prometric: Broad incumbent — large-scale testing and credentialing services provider serving many industries; competes with NCCER's assessment infrastructure as a possible outsourced delivery partner or alternative for high-stakes certification exams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/nccerus
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCCER
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nccer
• Instagraminstagram.com/nccer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Center for Construction Education and Research