Career & Workforce Development
Building a Brighter Future
BUILD is collaborating with the Erie Center for Arts & Technology (ECAT) Construction Trades Training Program to create an employment pipeline for skilled tradespeople to work in construction.
Pennsylvania is among the top 5 States with the highest employment level for carpenters, but 88% of contractors in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index reported moderate to high levels of difficulty in finding trained workers in 2022. [1] Students in ECAT's program receive training and NCCER certifications in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and masonry in the lab. An invaluable addition to the program is the experience they gain in the field with BUILD, putting their skills to the test on job sites under the supervision of mentors.
Minorities in the Trades
Racial and ethnic minorities and women are historically underrepresented in the construction trades industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that only 6.7% of the construction industry are Black or African American and women represent only 10.8%. [2] The 2024 graduating cohort of ECAT's program was 80% Black or African American and 20% women. This partnership not only provides equitable access for job seekers looking to enter a growing industry but diversifies the representation in the trades for those who have historically not been included.
Our partnership provides:
1.
Tuition-free training in the evenings to underemployed and unemployed residents of Erie County looking to skill up to a living wage job in a growing industry.
2.
Paid, daytime, on-the-job training for students and graduates to practice skills learned in the lab with continued mentorship and staff support in the field.
3.
Additional opportunities to skill up in areas not taught in the classroom, like paving and deconstruction, diversifying their skillset and providing valuable hands-on experience.
4.
The opportunity to work alongside our mission-driven organization, directly contributing to the revitalization of the communities where they live, work, and learn.