Providence Residents Building Careers in Construction

Mayor Cicilline and Building Futures mark an Operation Opportunity goal that's putting Providence residents to work in good-paying jobs

PROVIDENCE - Mayor David N. Cicilline, Building Futures Director Andrew Cortés and President of the Rhode Island Building Trades Council Michael Sabitoni celebrated an Operation Opportunity goal that's putting low-income Providence residents to work as carpenters, laborers, ironworkers, plumbers and bricklayers.

"It's important that residents have access to good-paying jobs with good benefits in the construction industry," said Mayor Cicilline. "We're committed to working with Building Futures to create a pathway to solid careers in construction and to ensuring that these men and women have the skills they need to succeed."

"I want to commend Mayor Cicilline for leading by example and for being a catalyst for change by establishing a process on school construction projects that provides Providence residents access to paid apprenticeships," said Cortés. "With the power of the union apprenticeship model, and the support of Mayor Cicilline, Building Futures helps our residents in need get connected to excellent careers in construction."

The Mayor set a goal of placing 30 Providence residents in construction apprenticeships in partnership with Building Futures as part of Operation Opportunity, an economic action plan with strategically aligned, measurable goals to expand opportunity for Providence residents. Seven of those residents are now at work on the construction site of the new Warren Alpert Medical School on Richmond Street.

Building Futures prepares low-income individuals for union apprenticeship programs by conducting a thorough evaluation of the individual's skills to determine their readiness, provide a 200 hour basic construction training and extensive course work in safety, job rights and labor history. Building Futures also offers individual tutoring in preparation for the apprenticeship exam. The candidates also gain valuable life skills, including information on financial literacy, assistance establishing bank accounts and information on the dangers of predatory lending practices.

The apprentices are also on the City's First Source List, a provision that ensures Providence residents receive first preference for employment from developers who receive tax stabilizations from the City of Providence.

Building Futures is a joint initiative of the Providence Plan and Build RI. The program is funded through proceeds from Governor's Workforce Board RI, United Way of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Department of Education, Rhode Island Foundation, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Making Connections Providence, Rhode Island Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Labor. For more information on Building Futures, contact Andrew Cortés at (401) 919-5919 or visit http://www.bfri.org.