Tag Archives: construction

When an Open House Comes Calling

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By Renee Prewitt

It’s about jobs, good paying jobs, and the community is quickly getting on board with Detroit’s new focus on careers in the skilled trades. Blue collar jobs are sexy again and with all of the construction projects getting underway—building the new Red Wings Stadium and the new international bridge, road repairs, and renovation projects, construction firms are scrambling to find employees who are trained electricians, cement masons, operating engineers, plumbers, etc. Retirees and the building boom have created a large employment hole to fill.

In response, schools like A. Philip Randolph Career Training Center are stepping in, offering young people dual learning opportunities in academics and the skilled trades. They held an open house at Randolph last week; it’s the only DPS school that prepares students for careers in the construction trades industry. Several people came out to talk about the new partnership between business, government, unions and Detroit Public Schools that will push young people into a wide open pipeline of opportunity that leads to lasting, middle income jobs. Here’s what some of them said about “Apprenticeships, the Other Four-Year Degree.”

IMG_5567“With the right preparation, people will be ready to go to the next level.” Don O’Connell, Executive Director, Operating Engineers, Local 324.

“I heard someone say, ‘If I don’t believe I can make a difference, then a difference won’t be made.’ I know all of us can make a difference and help our young people get the training they need.” Marion McGhee, Executive Director, Office of College and Career Readiness.

“We will see the City of Detroit being rebuilt and our students will be a part of that.” Dr. George Pena, Director, Randolph CTC.

“My father always said that opportunity comes with preparation. Those words have never been more true than they are today.” Dannis Mitchell, Diversity manager, Barton Malow.

At Randolph, students gain hands-on experience in construction in collaboration with local businesses, industry leaders and the community. Randolph is also the only DPS Career and Technical Center to offer the new 9th Grade Career Academy program, where high school students can earn a comprehensive high school diploma, an associate’s degree, trade skill certification and a paid internship through extensive coursework. Ask the young person you know what they think about working in construction. To learn more, call 313 240-4377.

The Partnership for Diversity and Opportunity in Transportation (The Partnership) consists of unions, businesses, and non-profit representatives, working collaboratively to enhance economic development within neighborhoods—which are directly impacted by major public works, and transportation construction projects—by creating community benefits, business growth, job training and other opportunities.

MiRoad2Work.org is one of our programs, designed as a “one-stop shop” for information about apprenticeships, apprenticeship readiness services, and business opportunities.

Fix the Roads!

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By Renee Prewitt

At a recent industry conference sponsored by Michigan Infrastructure Transportation Association (MITA), the focus was on rallying as many voices as possible to support the new $1.2B roads bill.

While oppositional voices are gearing up for battle, people on both sides of the issue agree: Michigan needs to fix its crumbling roads! http://www.saferoadsyes.com/prop-1/

The reasons to vote for Prop 1 are many:
· Our pothole riddled roads cannot be ignored any longer. Individual auto repairs are hitting a lot of us pretty hard in the pocket. In addition, deteriorating roads are not safe.
· The new gas tax will guarantee that every penny in state taxes we pay at the pump is guaranteed to go to transportation. We can put an end to the shell game played by the politicians in Lansing that shifts gas taxes to non-transportation purposes.
· Some of the funds will be used to help schools and local communities, which is not a bad thing if you live in a community that has schools. During the recession, most of these budgets were cut.
· Contrary to what some believe, the state doesn’t have the money to fix Michigan’s roads and bridges today without drastically cutting essential funding for our local communities, schools and public safety officers.
Tax increases are never popular, but in Michigan’s case, Prop 1 is necessary. If you don’t like the way Legislators handled this issue or handle your tax dollars in general, pledge to hold them accountable for all of their decisions regarding road funding in the future.

Don’t hold up the passage of this bill for a magic formula that may never materialize. Vote to fix the roads by voting Yes for Prop 1 on May 5.
If not now, when?

The Partnership for Diversity and Opportunity in Transportation (The Partnership) consists of unions, businesses, and non-profit representatives, working collaboratively to enhance economic development within neighborhoods—which are directly impacted by major public works, and transportation construction projects—by creating community benefits, business growth, job training and other opportunities.

MiRoad2Work.org is one of our programs, designed as a “one-stop shop” for information about apprenticeships and apprenticeship readiness services.

Construction is Not a Dead-End Job

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By Lisa Killingsworth 

Lately, I have been overhearing people telling students that they should perform better in school so that they “Don’t end up like the construction workers on the side of the road.” They also ask students, “Do you think that they like working those construction jobs?” Comments like these demonstrate that there is still a negative stigma attached to people who work in the skilled trades. Many of these workers are considered lazy and dumb because they are seen as people who are not capable of completing the traditional education path. While it is important to stress the significance of obtaining a good college education, we also need to include the pursuit of a skilled trade into the conversation when discussing career options after high school.

It will take some time for people to accept the fact that skilled trade jobs are a profession that requires lots of hands on training, math and science; they’re not for slackers. Whether someone goes to college or chooses to become an apprentice, students should know that both options require the same amount of hard-work and dedication. They should be educated about some of the benefits of working in the skilled trades: a competitive salary, good benefits, and developing skills that prepare a person for the workplace.

An apprentice typically earns while they learn, which is one of the main incentives to join the trades. Once they become “journeymen” or experts in their field, they can potentially earn from $60-$80,000 per year. This is a lot more than college and university graduates make in their first, entry-level job. This is because someone working in the skilled trades has already been working in their field for about 2-4 years and are prepared to earn a higher income because they are already more experienced.

Another valuable message about the skilled trades is coming from employers. Big businesses and corporations aim to hire young, hard-working individuals who have some sort of educational experience. Like college, working in the skilled trades presents ample opportunities to learn and to become well-versed in a particular field such as welding, plumbing or bricklaying. Also, it is a great way to develop skills such as teamwork, leadership, collaboration and communication, all of which can be used in any workplace setting.

The skilled trades are a great way to make a living. It is time to accept the idea that the skilled trades are just as valuable as white collar jobs when it comes to choosing a career.

The Partnership for Diversity and Opportunity in Transportation (The Partnership) consists of unions, businesses, and non-profit representatives, working collaboratively to enhance economic development within neighborhoods—which are directly impacted by major public works, and transportation construction projects—by creating community benefits, business growth, job training and other opportunities.

MiRoad2Work.org is one of The Partnership’s programs, designed as a “one-stop shop” for information about apprenticeships, apprenticeship programs and business opportunities in the transportation sector. The name represents our goal to demystify the apprenticeship process by helping more people find their way into the apprenticeship pipeline, as well as broadening awareness of business opportunities with Michigan Department of Transportation.

 

Access for All Program is Putting Detroiters to Work

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1418344534107By Renee Prewitt 

Everyone is talking about it, and it’s really happening. Men and women who have never had the chance to enter the skilled trades—you know, those professions where everyone wears a hard hat and works on a construction site—are going to class and doing what it takes to become an apprentice.

Last week, 14 people graduated from Access for All, a public-private, community-union-management collaborative partnership. This apprenticeship readiness training program is preparing a new generation of workers for the union construction industry and for hundreds of new jobs that are coming Detroit’s way. Most importantly, jobs/apprenticeships are already committed or sponsored by employers before individuals are put through the training. This is AFA’s second graduating class.

“These folks have put in the time, now it’s time to go to work,” said Don O’Connell, executive director, Operating Engineers Local 324 LMEC, to the roomful of family and supporters at the graduation ceremony.

While the nine-week AFA program is non-paid, it prepares graduates to pass the tests required to become paid apprentices in a range of skilled trades, including carpentry, electrical, iron work, cement masonry, operating engineer, and laborer. Openings are available in these trades because of a projected increase in infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction in the City of Detroit, and the retirement of skilled union journeypersons born during the baby boom years. Both of these factors have created unprecedented demand for skilled union construction workers. Access for All is one of many programs that are putting Detroiters to work by providing hands on training in the skilled trades and connecting graduates to real career opportunities.

Graduate Stephen White talked about how each person looked out for the other throughout the program, and how one person inspired him to take one of the program’s requirements—being on time every day—more seriously. “One day, Lyric (Vance) came in on a skateboard,” he said of his classmate. “If she did that, I knew I could get here on time in my car.”

Congratulations to the 2014 AFA graduating class!

Warren Brown, Michael Capers, Schanna Cottrell, Donte Davis, Michelle Grigsby, Phillip Jones, Keith Lawson, Michael Richards, Rico Sandoval, Dorian Small, Theodore Spencer, Lyric Vance, Michel Vargas, and Stephen White.

For more information about the program, call 313-945-5200, Ext 4317.

The Partnership for Diversity and Opportunity in Transportation (The Partnership) consists of unions, businesses, and non-profit representatives, working collaboratively to enhance economic development within neighborhoods—which are directly impacted by major public works, and transportation construction projects—by creating community benefits, business growth, job training and other opportunities.

MiRoad2Work.org is one of The Partnership’s programs, designed as a “one-stop shop” for information about apprenticeships, apprenticeship programs and business opportunities in the transportation sector. The name represents our goal to demystify the apprenticeship process by helping more people find their way into the apprenticeship pipeline, as well as broadening awareness of business opportunities with Michigan Department of Transportation.

We’re Not Charlie’s Angels

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By Lisa Killingsworth
                        Female Construction Worker Hispanic Woman Construction WorkerWorkerWhile searching for pictures of women in construction to be used in a future brochure, I began noticing that the majority of the images I found on two professional stock photo sites, showed women modeling construction, rather than women working in construction.  While these images are obviously the vision of the photographer, they revisit old stereotypes of women in construction.

 

These pictures depict them working in heels, wearing tight clothing and donning yellow hats and bright smiles.  In contrast, images of men in construction show them actually doing work. For example, the men are demonstrated operating machinery, giving orders and supporting other construction workers.

Yes, photographers have captured images of women in construction that are enjoyable, fabulous, and even sexy, but the real reasons why women choose to work in construction are very different.  Women join the skilled trades to make money, to feel proud of what they have accomplished, and to pursue their career interests.  Women in construction know that working in heels is not feasible. They prefer loose clothing because it’s comfortable. Photographers would do us all a service if they recognized this, and helped to distance women from the “calendar girls” that were so prevalent in the past.

The messaging should be the same for both genders. Let’s make sure that we cater to the fact that both men and women have the same goals in mind when it comes to enhancing their futures and furthering their careers.

The Partnership for Diversity and Opportunity in Transportation consists of unions, businesses, and non-profit representatives, working collaboratively to enhance economic development within neighborhoods—which are directly impacted by major public works, and transportation construction projects—by creating community benefits, business growth, job training and other opportunities.

MiRoad2Work.org is one of our programs, designed as a “one-stop shop” for information about apprenticeships and apprenticeship readiness services.

Spotlight: Operating Engineers Local 324

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By Lisa Killingsworth 

Who: Operating Engineers Local 324, a member of The Partnership for Diversity and Opportunity in Transportation

What: The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324 is devoted to working with business community and policymakers to create jobs and to build a stronger future for Michigan.  Their first priority is to provide rigorous worker training, making sure that Michigan has a highly skilled workforce that can compete with other states, for the high-tech jobs of the 21st century.  They also want their members to be able to perform these jobs safely, on time and within a set budget. Second, Operating Engineers Local 324 is dedicated to fixing Michigan’s crumbling roads and bridges, which will create local jobs, attract more businesses and strengthen the safety of drivers. Third, they aim to invest whole-heartedly into neighborhood schools so that kids can receive a high-quality education in a safe and clean learning environment.  Members work hard every day building, operating and maintaining the roads, bridges and buildings that Michiganders rely on. They also operate power plants, keep school buildings safe, perform critical HVAC duties and much more.

When: Founded in June, 1963.

Where: Grand Rapids, Bloomfield Township, and Marquette, MI

Why: The mission of Operating Engineers Local 324 is to watch for, and invest time into the ever-changing economic, social, political and legal challenges that face the union and to provide an enhanced level of services to its members via dedicated and loyal professionals.

The Training:
–       What does an Operating Engineer Apprentice do?
Operates and maintains hoisting and portable construction equipment, such as Bulldozers, Excavators, Scrapers, Graders, Loaders and Cranes.
–       What makes an ideal Operating Engineer Apprentice?
Someone who has keen awareness of extreme responsibility for the safety of other building tradesmen who work around the equipment, realizes the value of the expensive construction equipment and is able to make quick, sensible decisions as an operator.
–       What are the responsibilities of an Operating Engineer Apprentice?
To perform duties thoughtfully and diligently, to respect the property and the equipment of the contractor, to complete hours of related school instruction and to abide by all rules and regulations put in place by the contractor and the JATF.
–       How does someone become an Operating Engineers Apprentice?
Those interested in becoming an Operating Engineers apprentice can pick up their applications from either the Howell, Grand Rapids, Marquette, Grayling or Detroit training facilities (see ‘News & Events’ page for addresses of these locations).  Applications are available on a “first come, first serve” basis and will be available for pick-up on June 5th – June 6th, from 9:00am – 12:00pm and 2:00pm – 5:00pm.

The Partnership for Diversity and Opportunity in Transportation consists of unions, businesses, and non-profit representatives, working collaboratively to enhance economic development within neighborhoods—which are directly impacted by major public works, and transportation construction projects—by creating community benefits, business growth, job training and other opportunities.

MiRoad2Work.org is one of our programs, designed as a “one-stop shop” for information about apprenticeships and apprenticeship readiness services.