On January 5, 2011, the US Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Apprenticeship, approved LIUNA Training and Education Fund’s new residential Home Performance Laborer Apprenticeship Program. After extensive review and industry input, the DOL now recognizes the Home Performance Laborer (HPL) as an apprenticeable trade.

However, the HPL occupation applies only to the residential construction sector and is not recognized for use in the commercial or industrial sectors of the construction industry.  This stipulation helps differentiate the new program from LIUNA’s existing Construction Craft Laborer (CCL) Apprenticeship Program.  The HPL occupation consists of a full set of skills and competencies for several different, but related jobs.

Training in Home Performance leads to jobs in weatherization and energy efficiency; sustainable residential construction; deconstruction, rehabilitation, and retrofit; green landscaping, and environmental remediation. HPL apprentices decide which specialties they want to learn to help them build a career.

LIUNA’s new HPL Apprenticeship Program takes two years to complete and includes 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning (OJL). Apprentices attend industry related training in core skills such as construction safety, material handling, and general industry orientation. After mastering required core skills, they receive training and OJL in their preferred specialty areas. Training addresses industry skill standards and job tasks through activity-based learning, hands-on exercises, and competency assessment.