LA PLATA — The College of Southern Maryland says more students are turning to its construction trades programs as employers across the region look for skilled workers, and it is pointing to graduates like Jim Brincefield as proof the path can pay off.
Brincefield started at CSM in 2018 as a math tutor. He later enrolled in the college’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning certificate program, working as a technician for four years while taking classes at night, and finished in 2024, the college said in an Oct. 21 announcement. He went on to earn a Maryland home improvement license and open Brincefield Crawl Space Solutions, which now employs 13 people. He is also general manager at Alliance Heating and Cooling and mentors new technicians.
Brincefield told the college that CSM gives students a way into the industry that few other options offer, and that its reputation helps graduates stand out when they apply for HVAC jobs.
Where the programs are
CSM’s trades training runs through its Center for Trades and Energy Training. The 30,000-square-foot center was the first building on the college’s Regional Hughesville Campus when it welcomed its first 66 trade students in 2018, according to the college. That first class drew 33 students from Charles County, 21 from St. Mary’s and 11 from Calvert.
The center offers certificate programs in HVAC, welding, electrical work and home inspection, along with prep courses for the Maryland Home Improvement Contractor and Home Improvement License exams. HVAC is among its most popular programs, the college said. Spring offerings include HVAC, home inspection training and Maryland Home Improvement License courses, listed through CSM’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development division.
Michael Langton, the center’s director and master trainer, said enrollment in the trades programs is growing and that the students are changing. He said more younger students and more women are coming into the trades. A certificate can lead to a new role or to starting a business, he told the college.
The center works with regional employers and industry experts to match courses to what local businesses need and to hire experienced instructors, the college said. The announcement did not list program lengths, costs, job placement rates or pay figures.
The demand behind it
CSM pointed to several labor numbers to explain the push:
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists construction among the fastest-growing employment sectors in Maryland.
- The Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades projects more than 600,000 new trades positions nationwide by 2035.
- About 1.7 million trades jobs are expected to open each year because of retirements and career changes.
- Nearly one in four trades workers is 55 or older.
Trades training is one part of a broader effort at CSM to tie programs to local jobs. This month the college also added radiation therapy and health care administration degrees and has been using campus events to keep students enrolled.
Students interested in spring trades courses can find schedules and registration through the college’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development website at csmd.edu.
