Inside the Plainfield Construction Workforce Development Institute

Sankofa is one of the two minority general contractors renovating the former SSYC property at Prescott Place and South Second Street — the future home of the Plainfield Construction Workforce Development Institute. We have been at it since May 2025, and this month the City of Plainfield shared an update on where the project stands.

Between the two contractors, more than two dozen Plainfield residents are employed on this job right now. That is the point of the work as much as the building is: our crews have been handling the renovation in-house — ceilings and HVAC, drywall, painting, flooring — while we build out the programming that will run inside it.

What happens next

• A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is anticipated by the end of October

• A ribbon cutting is planned for November

• The two workforce development schools formally launch in early 2027

• Updated websites for both programs go up beginning Monday, with enrollment and apprenticeship information and, as opening approaches, registration for apprenticeship opportunities

More than a building

This is a sustainable workforce development program, not just a renovation. It is meant to give Plainfield residents real pathways into the construction trades — apprenticeships, skills training, and employment — and the credentials to take part in the construction and redevelopment happening across the city and the region. The City put it plainly:

Plainfield development should create opportunities for Plainfield residents. — Zenobia L. Fields, Director, Department of Economic Development, City of Plainfield

If you want a spot

Sankofa already runs a USDOL-Registered Apprenticeship Program and a Heavy Equipment Training Program. You can read what each program covers here, book an enrollment session through our booking page, or call 732-309-3568 and talk to our team. Plainfield residents are encouraged to reach out early.