Building Career Connections

Constructing Hope trainees chat with potential employers

Inside the historic Allen Temple CME Church, potential builders took a step towards a bright future. Construction pre-apprenticeship trainees interviewed with home building industry businesses at a Veteran’s Day Career Fair.

HBF’s was invited to the hiring event as a result of our relationship as a supporter of Constructing Hope. Constructing Hope is leading a partnership between four Portland based adult construction training programs; Oregon Tradeswomen, Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center, (P.O.I.C) and Portland Youth Builders. This group is called “PATP”, which is the Portland Pre-apprenticeship Training Program Consortium. All four programs provide free training for low income people, the majority of whom are BIPOC, women, and some who were formerly incarcerated.

Veteran's Day Job Fair

It was a lively, crowded affair inside the church. HBF recruited four HBA member businesses who have well- paying jobs available now. Fireside Home Solutions, Parr Lumber, Rick’s Custom Fencing, and Ridgecrest Custom Cabinets squeezed together side- by -side to talk with interested trainees. Candace Hanks, with Ridgecrest says it was an incredibly successful event. “We really enjoyed being able to meet with the other companies for networking, as well as being able to refer candidates to another employer if we weren’t the right fit.” There were some wins. For example, a Constructing Hope trainee with prior experience with installing fireplaces was excited to hand off his resume to Fireside. Both METRO and the City of Portland were part of the job fair employers as well as some manufacturers, and union apprenticeship programs.

HBF Recruiting Team

While many trainees have their sights set on apprenticeships, there are some who are looking for immediate work.  Pat Daniels, Executive Director of Constructing Hope says having trainees start family wage careers is her focus. All four of the training programs take placing their graduates very seriously, and offer anywhere from one year to indefinite counseling and support services to keep their graduates engaged in the building industry.

The trainees came well prepared with a list of questions, and were encouraged to chat with employers. They received stamps on a “passport” for each booth they visited, which entered them in a raffle for some great prizes. The face -to-face interaction is a valuable “soft skill” these training programs try to foster. Taylor Pawley, with Rick’s Custom Fencing says she had a great time chatting with the trainees.  “I need to work on my elevator speech for next time” to be prepared for the trainee’s thoughtful inquiries.

PCEF Partnership Begins

Constructing Hope Executive Director Pat Daniels visits HBA

As the result of a $7- million dollar grant from the Portland Clean Energy Fund, HBA and HBF will be providing opportunities like this for the next three years.  Constructing Hope’s Pat Daniels came to the October HBA board meeting to explain how HBA , HBF, Earth Advantage, and Oregon Solar Education Fund will provide educational and employment enhancement to the pre-apprenticeship programs. Earth Advantage will provide Green construction workforce training, and provide each trainee a certificate.  Our involvement will include job fairs, and attendance at events such as HBA’s BuildRight, and the H.O.T.T. tour (Homes of Tomorrow Today.) Each of the four training programs has a unique focus. What they share is a mission to provide financial stability through living wage careers in the construction business. Here is a brief overview of each program:

Constructing Hope

Constructing Hope focuses on BIPOC trainees, all of whom live in poverty, with the majority who are people coming out of incarceration.  All of its trainees are over age 18. This is a free, 10- week program. Constructing Hope grew from a church- based program into the year-around training facility it runs today on Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard in NE Portland. Constructing Hope trains about 15-20 trainees per session four times a year, and runs a summer program for youth. Constructing Hope follows its graduates and provides support services for at least two years after they complete their courses. Home Builders Foundation has been a supporter of CH for three years, and has previously offered trainees assistance such as stipends for rent or bus passes.

Oregon Tradeswomen

Oregon Tradeswomen: Only women are admitted to the program, and the majority are BIPOC and low income.  Operating out of a new building in the Rockwood area of Gresham, women can attend one of four sessions each year. The free 10-week program is for women over the age of 18, who must have a high school diploma: An estimated 80% of their graduates go on to union apprenticeships, with direct entry offered into the Plumbers and Steamfitters program, UA Local 290, and the NECA/IBEW Electrical Training Center. Oregon Tradeswomen offers indefinite support for its graduates.

Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center

Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center has been in NE Portland since the 1970’s where it originally focused on the Black community. 100% of their program trainees are low income, the majority are people of color, and all are over 18.  They are paid stipends during their 12- week training.  Classes are taught at the NW College of Construction near the Portland Airport. There are four sessions annually. P.O.I.C reports 95% of their graduates are placed in a job upon graduation. Graduates are followed by career counselors when they leave.

Portland Youth Builders training program

Portland Youth Builders is a chapter of YouthBuild USA, an organization with 220 programs in 46 states. They have two training modules. “Bridge” is a 9- week program for students ages 18-26, all whom are high school graduates. Roughly 120 are educated each year.  They receive stipends during training. The High School program admits students at least age 17 who often have been away from school more than a year, and helps them finish up a GED while receiving construction training. The program can take up to one year, and serves nearly 60 students each year. Training is free, and all students must qualify as low income to attend: They receive stipends during training.  Its main facility is in Lents, and they have a second campus in Hillsboro. The graduates receive at least a year of follow-up.

There is a growing need for more sustainable homes and retrofitting to combat climate change, and this new collaboration is seen as a way to prepare people who live in the communities most impacted to find good jobs. Interactions with the four training programs will support HBA and HBF’s efforts to diversify, as 60% of the collective program’s graduates are people of color. And, 47% identify as women, who will join an industry that is still 90% men. All told, more than 400 people are involved with the PATP training programs each year, giving the residential industry ample opportunity to recruit new, well trained workers.

Would you like to be involved in HBA and HBF’s Workforce Development efforts? Please contact HBF’s Workforce Assistant Teresa Spangler, Teresas@hbapdx.org.