To the Editor:

Apprenticeship programs are vital to the education of carpenters and provide a pathway to a lifelong career in the construction industry. We applaud the town of Guilderland for adding a provision to the town code that will promote these critical training programs.

Thanks to the law enacted last week, all contractors entering into a construction contract with the town must now have apprenticeship agreements appropriate for the type and scope of work to be performed. This will ensure that publicly-funded work invests back into the community by expanding opportunity to the next generation.

The members of the Guilderland Town Board deserve praise for supporting working men and women.

Bill Banfield

Albany

Editor’s note: Bill Banfield is assistant to the executive secretary-treasurer for the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.