Building Futures

Building Futures -Building Futures operates a comprehensive pre-apprenticeship training program to help men and women prepare for employment in one of many different Building trade apprenticeships, including electricians, carpenters, plumbers, iron workers, painters, and laborers among others. Our 200-hour hands-on pre-apprenticeship training focuses on basic competencies needed across all construction trades. The main components of the program are recruitment, orientation, application, assessments, construction training, supplemental elective trainings, construction math, personal financial management, career guidance, placement and employment transition, and support services. All services are at no cost to participants.while enrolled full-time, participants receive a training allowance to ensure retention and successful completion of the program. Graduates earn multiple industry-recognized certifications that help ensure entry in their chosen trade. All graduates are guided in choosing the Building trade occupation that best fits their interests and abilities. Graduates are assisted in preparing for apprenticeship program interviews and entrance exams, and they receive support services and guidance throughout their first year of apprenticeship and beyond. To date, 522 participants graduated from our pre-apprenticeship training program.building Futures' elective trainings include a 10-week hands on experience in single family home Building, constructing model energy-efficient affordable homes for first time low-income home buyers. 34 trainees worked on the small homes project in partnership with one neighborhood builders during fy 23, and began work on an additional home with the city of central falls. The organization also provides a 3-week elective in industrial welding; this is a certification course taught by a nationally certified welding instructor. Together these elective trainings augment the core pre-apprenticeship program in preparing graduates for entry and success in registered apprenticeships. To date, Building Futures completed 413 job placements, including 401 in construction registered apprenticeships. 42% of Building Futures graduates have completed their apprenticeships (3-5 years in duration), and are now journey workers in their selected trade occupation. Our graduates are maintaining a 76% retention rate in the construction workforce since 2007. With employer and trade apprenticeship program partners, Building Futures continues to refine and expand its pre-apprenticeship program, and has been nationally recognized for its best practices by the united states department of labor and others.in its ongoing efforts to increase the diversity and number of qualified candidates for construction apprenticeship programs, the organization has increased its focus on recruitment, training, placement and retention of women in the trades. This is done both by establishing an alumni leadership working group to assist with outreach and recruitment, and via a mentorship program for women trainees and graduates. Thus far, 11% of our graduates have been women; this is in line with the national average of 10.9% for women in construction. In addition to our direct work placing women in Building trade apprenticeships, we also support tradeswomen organizing to transform challenging work environments by staffing the women's council of the ri Building and construction trades council as they identify and act upon priority issues.building Futures graduates who have worked in the field for several years, and seek to begin their own businesses have frequently expressed the need for technical expertise. To support graduates that have become journey workers who are interested in becoming contractors, Building Futures successfully piloted a wbe/mbe business development class. With support from the ri associated general contractors, Building Futures engaged a construction business leader to provide instruction and counseling services for our graduates. The program provides an intensive curriculum covering the establishment and registration of a business, the basics of operating a business, requirements needed to become a contractor, raising capital and managing cash flow, and growing a construction business. Expert presenters and coaches are included so that participants gain a deeper understanding that comes with experience, and to encourage discussion and critical thinking. Based upon the first successful cycle of ten (10) participants, this program will continue in fy24.

American apprenticeship initiative -apprenticeship rhode island (ari), an initiative in partnership with the ri dlt, is an effort to expand the use of registered apprenticeship in high growth non-construction occupations and industries. Building Futures serves as the state's apprenticeship intermediary, providing technical assistance and resources to employers to design, launch and operate registered apprenticeship programs for occupations in health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing, marine trades, landscape horticulture, and others. To date, apprenticeship ri has worked with 130 employers and 12 multi-employer sponsors. Cumulatively these programs have employed and trained 2,000 apprentices. New registered apprenticeship development continues in the areas of: early childhood education, special education, schoolteacher licensure. Two new registered apprenticeship programs through ri college have been added to include behavioral health case manager and community health worker. These two programs have 18 employer partners in healthcare. Building Futures is also expanding its technical assistance to support ra sponsors in developing rigorous equal opportunity standards in ra that include dei goals and mentorship trainings that support the success of ra.these activities reflect a natural expansion of Building Futures' work to better achieve its mission while replicating its effective work in the construction industry. Additional activities include assisting community-based organizations to design, launch and operate new pre-apprenticeship programs similar to the Building Futures model for construction. This year, Building Futures helped create and certify the family childcare provider pre-apprenticeship with seiu education and support fund and the mission program with one neighborhood builders. Through these efforts, Building Futures helps prepare low-income individuals for placement in these non-traditional registered apprenticeships sponsored by ari and its employer partners. Finally, the apprenticeship rhode island initiative plays a significant intermediary role related to expanding and improving the capacity of the state's apprenticeship office. With a focus on serving underrepresented populations, Building Futures seeks to align multiple systems to effectively connect people to registered apprenticeship. Integration efforts impact and include k-12 and post-secondary education, the public workforce system and, importantly, community-based organizations to align services and establish new quality pre-apprenticeship programs. In 2020, the ari initiative was recognized by the national governor's association as one of the top 10 most effective programs in the country.