(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA)—Delaware County Community College has received a $35,000 grant from Endless Pools™, a locally-based business unit of Masco Corporation, to support the Chester Trades Education Project (CTEP) at the College. 

CTEP is a collaborative initiative aimed at providing Chester residents with tuition-free, post-secondary education and training in the skilled trades. Launched in 2021, CTEP focuses on equipping students with practical skills in Building & Facility Maintenance, leading to certifications and associate degrees that pave the way for sustainable careers.

The tuition-free, two-year program is open to students who are residents of the city of Chester, with a curriculum that Includes safety, technical skills, blueprint reading, and foundational courses in carpentry, HVAC, and Electrical. Classes meet twice a week.

A collaboration between the College, Riverside Futures Community Development Corporation, the Chester Housing Authority, Kelleher Connect and the Rotary clubs of Chester and Swarthmore, CTEP plays a key role in helping families in Chester achieve long-term economic security—by helping Chester students overcome both academic and socioeconomic barriers and set them on a path to success. 

“This grant will allow us to continue to grow our efforts to serve residents of Chester with this very important and life-changing program,” said Delaware County Community College President Dr. Marta Yera Cronin. “We are grateful to Masco and Endless Pools for their support in our mission to provide equitable access to higher education to students in Delaware and Chester Counties.”  

Thanks to the grant, training will now include construction of a 12′ × 14′ structure, with students participating in the project from layout and floor framing through wall construction, window and door installation, roofing, siding and finishing. The project will provide students with an opportunity to apply classroom instruction in a supervised, real-world environment while developing measurable hands-on competencies, teamwork, workplace safety practices, and confidence in their ability to perform skilled-trade tasks—and provide a hands-on training resource for future cohorts.

The grant also supports two new training opportunities at the Chester City location: Forklift Operator Training including OSHA Certification, and CPR/First Aid Certification and Flagger Training with OSHA and CPR Certification. These credentials are practical, accessible pathways into employment and can complement the skills of individuals already working in construction, manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and related industries.

“This initiative creates opportunities within the City of Chester, equipping students with skills that pave the way for sustainable careers with family-supporting incomes,” said Dr. Karen Kozachyn, DCCC’s vice president of Workforce and Economic Development.  For more information about CTEP at DCCC, please call 610-355-7156 or visit dccc.edu/ctep.