Resources For Your Career

Are you ready to get started on a career in manufacturing or engineering? There are lots of resources available in Delaware to help you out with polishing your resume, getting the right skills, connecting with employers, and even paying for a degree or certificate. Also, even if you’re not interested in a four-year degree, take a look at Delaware’s universities and colleges to see what other options they have to offer for your first steps.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

American Job Centers
Delaware’s American Job Centers are located in in Dover, Georgetown, Wilmington and Newark. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration, these centers provide resource rooms with free internet, phones and resume writing tools; job training services; job search assistance; help with employment plan development; career counseling; practice interviewing; employment workshops and much more.

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Career Outlook
This U.S. Department of Labor page has employment and wage data for many different occupations and industries, as well as first-hand accounts from people workingthose jobs.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Delaware Career Compass
The Delaware Career Compass, a Delaware Department of Labor publication, helps you learn more about what kinds of jobs are in demand and how much they pay. It also includes useful information to help you evaluate your options for the next step, including career and technical education, apprenticeships and college degrees. Finally, the Career Compass includes short guides to web-based tools that can help with career planning, such as O*NET OnLine  and My Next Move.

Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training
The Division of Employment & Training’s website provides helpful links to services for job seekers, as well as more information about specific careers. The division can help cover the cost of a degree, license or certificate. For more information, click here. The division also provides a lot of information on apprenticeships – including video testimonials from apprentices – available here.

Delaware Department of Labor, Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information
This page lists employment statistics and wages for some 500 different occupations, and also includes projections for approximately 100 industries. You can also look up data on employers by industry. The Career Compass (see above) and other useful publications related to choosing a career can be found here.

Delaware JobLink
This job database run by the Delaware Department of Labor can connect qualified workers and recent graduates to more than 11,000 available job openings. A separate search function
on the site also lets you look for training and education providers.

Delaware Workforce Development Board
william.potter@state.de.us
302-761-8163
The Delaware Workforce Development Board offers occupational training to workers and connects them with employers. The board’s Youth Council runs programs to help Delaware’s neediest and most at-risk youth prepare for the workforce.

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Delaware College of Art and Design
info@dcad.edu
302-622-8000
At DCAD, students can learn or polish skills in graphic design, animation, illustration and other fields that might be relevant for future makers.

Delaware Skills Center
302-654-5392
The Delaware Skills Center in New Castle has provided
skills training and job placement since 1962. Taught through hands-on training and classroom instruction, courses include practical nursing, welding, electrical trades, computer support and more. Day and evening classes.

Delaware State University
Majors include Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technology, Optics, and Textile and Apparel Studies. DSU also offers non-credit entrepreneurship classes. For a full list, go here.

Delaware Technical Community College
302-857-1000 (Dover),
302-259-6000 (Georgetown),
302-454-3900 (Stanton),
302-571-5300 (Wilmington)
DTCC is an open-admission institution whose degree programs prepare students to go directly into the workforce. The college also offers training for adults already in the workplace. Areas of study include Architectural Engineering Technology, Aviation Maintenance Technology, Computer-Aided Drafting Design Technology, Construction Management, Machinist Training and many others. For a full list, go here.

Goldey-Beacom College
302-998-8814
Majors and certificate programs at Goldey-Beacom are focused on business skills, making it a great destination if you’re considering setting up your own company. For example, you can learn the basics of accounting or brush
up on Microsoft Office.

New Castle County Vo-Tech School District: Adult Education Division
Interested in an apprenticeship? NCC Vo-Tech offers four-year building-trades programs that consist of both on-the-job training and instruction in trade theory. Students in the program are sponsored by their employer, and tuition is covered by the State of Delaware (for Delaware residents only).

University of Delaware
302-831-2792
In addition to traditional undergraduate and graduate studies, UD students have options for online enrollment
or professional and continuing studies programs. Majors offered at UD include Apparel Design, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation, Landscape Architecture, Medical Laboratory Science and many more. A list of professional and continuing-studies programs is available here.

Wesley College
302-736-2300
Majors at Wesley are focused on the liberal arts, but also include Biology, Biological Chemistry and Medical Technology.

Wilmington University
877-967-5464
Wilmington University offers more than 150 degree and certificate programs. Many of them are available online or include work experiences for credit. The College of Technology’s “Maker” certificate is designed to help you learn how to create, prototype, design and manufacture products.

MAKERSPACES

Barrel of Makers
Community-center makerspace for different skills and ages, offering woodworking, electronics, robotics, computer programming, 3D printing and design, glass etching and welding.

Delaware Innovation Space
info@deinnovates.org
100,000 square feet of state-of-the-art, multi-use lab space, plus 155 private and shared offices. Also offers mentoring by field experts, funding assistance, grant application support, networking and marketing guidance.

NextFab
302-477-7330
Offers access to 2D and 3D printers, design software, a laser cutter, digital circuitry tools and a woodworking shop, alongside offices, studios and communal space. Tenants can participate in a 12-week accelerator program or nine-month incubator program, business coaching, networking and funding opportunities.

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS AND UNIONS

Associated Builders and Contractors, Delaware
302-328-1111
ABC is a membership organization that represents more than 21,000 employers in the construction industry. Among other services, ABC offers training for workers in the building trades. You can also use the organization’s membership directory to identify and connect with local employers.

Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council
delawarebuildingstrades@gmail.com
302-369-9600
The Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO, represents 24 affiliated local unions in the construction sector. The website offers information about the benefits of union membership and provides lists with the contact information of local building contractors, such as bricklayers, cement masons and plasterers, roofers, iron workers, glaziers and more.

Delaware Contractors Association
info@dca.build
302-994-7442
Members of DCA have access to networking events and mentoring programs, as well as DCA-sponsored college and vocational classes at the University of Delaware and Delaware Technical Community College.

Delaware Manufacturing Extension Partnership (DEMEP)
info@demep.org
302-283-3131
DEMEP helps Delaware manufacturers stay competitive by providing resources to acquire new technologies, reduce waste and drive growth. The DEMEP website provides great insights into key challenges and solutions in manufacturing today. The organization also offers training programs on
lean manufacturing practices.

Delaware State AFL-CIO
302-283-1330
AFL-CIO’s Delaware page provides important information on why unions matter to employees in manufacturing, construction and beyond, as well as a list of unions Delaware workers can join, with contact information for most.

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce/Delaware Manufacturing Association
info@dscc.com
302-655-7221
The Chamber advocates on behalf of businesses throughout the state. For job seekers, the Chamber’s website provides a searchable job bank. The Delaware Manufacturing Association, an affiliate of DSCC, sponsors networking events in the manufacturing sector and counts major employers such as Delaware City Refining Company, AstraZeneca and Siemens among its members.

SkillsUSA
703-777-8810
A nonprofit partnership of students, teachers and industry promoting a thriving, skilled workforce. SkillsUSA provides educational programs, events and competitions to support career and technical education.