DPR Apprenticeships in Action

When Alex Caranza steps onto the field at his jobsite in Orlando, FL, a three-dimensional structure emerges in his mind. Being able to translate blueprints to 3D visualizations has had a noticeable impact on his career—a skill that he recently developed as a graduate of DPR's Craft Apprenticeship Program.

The program was created to help alleviate the skilled labor shortage and ensure employees have the skills necessary to build for the future. Certified by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), this in-house program offers team members training from experienced DPR builders.

Apprentices learn hands-on, nuts-and-bolts building techniques, and gain a wider view of what goes into project success. The program covers essentials like construction math, blueprint reading and communication skills, followed by trade-specific learning paths like concrete, drywall or electrical. Apprentices are required to demonstrate these skills on the jobsite before successfully completing the program.

Caranza, who now works in DPR’s Doors, Frames, and Hardware team, says, “What really helped me most was learning how to read blueprints. I can now read what a floor plan is, along with hardware schedules and door schedules.” He uses these skills on a daily basis and points to this broader understanding as making a noticeable impact on his career. “Everything I learned just progresses me more.”

Graduate Jose Hernandez, who works with DPR’s Interiors team in Austin, TX, now serves as a field tech and leadperson on the Baylor Scott and White Medical Center project. His role is to lay out interior and exterior walls, tasks that include quality control checks on all dimensions, from doors and ceilings to finishes, including using a Dusty Robotics layout robot.

Hernandez says he learned a lot during the program, and it gave him confidence in his ability to grow in his career. “Since I’ve been working here, I’ve been hungry for knowledge. I’m grateful to have been a part of the apprenticeship program because it’s helped me continue to enhance my skill set and drive. All I can say is, ‘keep it coming.’”

While program graduates learn many technical skills in the program, they often point to the soft skills and cultural values they come away with as being particularly inspiring. Hernandez gained an appreciation for DPR values. “This apprenticeship program made an impact on me by opening my eyes to DPR’s core value of Ever Forward. I work on the technology side now and can see the impact technology makes when we go out and look at the next big thing to make our work safer and more efficient.”

Hector Garcia, a program graduate who works on projects in Charlotte, NC, says, “It’s helped me expand my understanding of project operations, and also it helps me guarantee the safe and timely completion of projects we have here.”

The program gives participants a better overall understanding of what’s expected of them in their roles. It provides training in practical building skills, with graduates being required to pass rigorous tests to demonstrate that they have mastered the knowledge within each module. They walk away with portable NCCER credentials that are recognized in all 50 states and three territories, as well as confidence the support of a network of experts.