Organization: BUILDING FUTURES
Mission: TO MEET EMPLOYER AND INDUSTRY NEEDS FOR SKILLED WORKERS THROUGH THE REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEM, WHILE CREATING FAMILY-SUSTAINING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW-INCOME DIVERSE RESIDENTS OF RHODE ISLAND.
Activities: AMERICAN APPRENTICESHIP INITIATIVE -APPRENTICESHIP RHODE ISLAND (ARI), BUILDING FUTURES' INITIATIVE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RI DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING, 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, THIS INITIATIVE HAS WORKED WITH 65 EMPLOYER SPONSORS AND ASSOCIATIONS AND HAS REGISTERED 40 NEW APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS EMPLOYING 1,100 APPRENTICES IN CAREER LADDER OCCUPATIONS.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 OF PRE-APPRENTICESHIP FOR CONSTRUCTION. BY DOING SO, 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 HAS SIGNIFICANT INTERMEDIARY ROLES RELATED TO EXPANDING AND IMPROVING THE CAPACITY OF THE STATE'S APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY. 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. THIS INITIATIVE WAS RECENTLY RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL GOVERNOR'S ASSOCIATION AS ONE OF THE TOP 10 MOST EFFECTIVE SUCH PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY.
BUILDING FUTURES -PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING AND SOCIAL SERVICES SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING POVERTY WHO SEEK TO GAIN CAREERS THROUGH EMPLOYMENT AS REGISTERED BUILDING TRADES APPRENTICES; SERVICES TO INCREASE THE USE OF ESTABLISHED RAS ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS; AND SERVICES TO ASSIST NON-CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYERS TO SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOP, LAUNCH AND OPERATE REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAMS IN OTHER HIGH GROWTH SECTORS.BUILDING FUTURES HAS DEVELOPED AND OPERATES A COMPREHENSIVE PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM TO HELP MEN AND WOMEN PREPARE FOR EMPLOYMENT IN ONE OF A DOZEN BUILDING TRADES APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS INCLUDING ELECTRICIANS, CARPENTERS, PLUMBERS, IRON WORKERS, PAINTERS, AND LABORERS. BUILDING FUTURES' 200 HOUR HANDS-ON PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING (BF200) FOCUSES ON BASIC COMPETENCIES NEEDED ACROSS ALL CONSTRUCTION TRADES. THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM ARE: RECRUITMENT, ORIENTATION, APPLICATION, ASSESSMENTS, CONSTRUCTION TRAINING, CONSTRUCTION MATH INSTRUCTION, PERSONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, CAREER GUIDANCE, PLACEMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO OFFERS A SPECIAL TRACK IN HOME BUILDING THAT PROVIDES AN EXTENDED HANDS-ON TRAINING OPPORTUNITY BUILDING MODEL ENERGY-EFFICIENT AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN PROVIDENCE NEIGHBORHOODS. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO OFFERS A 3-WEEK ELECTIVE IN INDUSTRIAL WELDING; THIS IS A CERTIFICATION COURSE TAUGHT BY A CERTIFIED WELDING INSTRUCTOR. TOGETHER THESE TRAININGS ARE DESIGNED TO PREPARE GRADUATES FOR ENTRY AND SUCCESS IN REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIPS IN CONSTRUCTION.ALL SERVICES ARE AT NO COST TO TRAINEES. IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 SAFETY STANDARDS, BUILDING FUTURES' BF200 TRAINING WAS REDESIGNED TO OPERATE IN COHORTS OF 6, WITH AN ANNUAL TARGET OF 36 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING SEVERAL INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATIONS, CONSTRUCTION MATH INSTRUCTION AND TUTORING, CAREER COUNSELING AND TRANSITION-TO-EMPLOYMENT SERVICES. ALL GRADUATES ARE GUIDED IN CHOOSING THE BUILDING TRADE OCCUPATION THAT BEST FITS THEIR INTERESTS AND ABILITIES, AND ARE ASSISTED IN PREPARING FOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM ENTRANCE EXAMS AND INTERVIEWS, WITH FOLLOW-UP SUPPORT SERVICES AND GUIDANCE PROVIDED THROUGH THEIR FIRST YEAR OF APPRENTICESHIP AND BEYOND. TO DATE, 318 PROGRAM GRADUATES HAVE BEEN PLACED IN REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP EMPLOYMENT IN 12 CONSTRUCTION TRADE PROGRAMS, WITH 108 OF THESE GRADUATES HAVING ACHIEVED JOURNEYWORKER STATUS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE TRADES. THE BUILDING FUTURES PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM HAS BEEN REFINED AND EXPANDED OVER THE LAST TWELVE YEARS IN COLLABORATION WITH EMPLOYER AND TRADE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM PARTNERS, AND HAS BEEN NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR BEST PRACTICES BY MANY, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. IN 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, BOTH BY ESTABLISHING AN ALUMNI LEADERSHIP WORKING GROUP TO ASSIST WITH OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT, AND VIA A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR WOMEN TRAINEES AND GRADUATES. TEN PERCENT OF THE ORGANIZATION'S GRADUATES ARE WOMEN, COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF THREE PERCENT. BUILDING FUTURES IS DEVELOPING AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN REGARDING CAREERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION TRADES THAT IS TARGETED TO STUDENTS, PARENTS, SCHOOL EDUCATORS, COUNSELORS, AND ADMINISTRATORS. THE GOAL IS TO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CURRICULA INTEGRATE AND ARTICULATE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) PATHWAYS TO REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP. BUILDING FUTURES IS ALSO PLANNING TO EXPAND UPON ITS EFFORTS TO ENHANCE THE PHYSICAL PREPAREDNESS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE A HIGH INTEREST AND STRONG POTENTIAL FOR THE TRADES, YET LACK THE BASIC, HANDS-ON AND ESSENTIAL EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS THAT WILL ENSURE THEIR SUCCESS AS APPRENTICES. THIS NEW TRAINING WILL FOCUS ON PHYSICAL CONDITIONING AND STAMINA, SUPPORT RUDIMENTARY KNOWLEDGE OF CONSTRUCTION SKILLS (E.G. TOOL IDENTIFICATION, PROJECT AND BUILDING PRINCIPLES, ETC.), AND PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYSICAL SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS OF EACH TRADE.AS A FURTHER ENHANCEMENT IN ITS CONSTRUCTION-RELATED PROGRAMMING, BUILDING FUTURES IS CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING A TARGETED INTERVENTION IN RESPONSE TO THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT OF OPIOIDS ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. DESIGNED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OVERDOSE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN, "RI OPIOIDS CRISIS: OUR RESPONSE. OUR RECOVERY" IS NOW OFFERED AS PART OF BUILDING FUTURES' PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, AND IS BEING REFINED FOR PRESENTATION TO LOCAL CONSTRUCTION TRADE UNIONS AND THEIR MEMBERSHIP. THE CURRICULUM HAS ALSO BEEN ADAPTED FOR NON-CONSTRUCTION AUDIENCES.ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT OF BUILDING FUTURES' WORK IS INCREASING APPRENTICE UTILIZATION ON LARGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH PROJECT OWNERS. BUILDING FUTURES' APPRENTICE UTILIZATION PROGRAM, OR AUP, PROVIDES A METHOD TO ENSURE THAT REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING OCCURS ON ACTIVE RHODE ISLAND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AT AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL TO MEET THE FUTURE DEMAND FOR VARIOUS BUILDING TRADES' OCCUPATIONS, BASED UPON LABOR MARKET PROJECTIONS. IN SO DOING, BUILDING FUTURES SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BY EMPLOYING APPRENTICES AND PARTICIPATING IN THE REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEM. BUILDING FUTURES PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO AND MONITORING OF TRADE CONTRACTORS OF ALL TIERS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR APPRENTICE UTILIZATION TARGETS AND LOCAL HIRING GOALS ARE REACHED, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ENTITIES PURCHASING CONSTRUCTION SERVICES (E.G. BROWN UNIVERSITY, CITY OF PROVIDENCE, ETC.). APPRENTICE UTILIZATION PROGRAM ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE ACROSS THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND. IN THE PAST TWELVE YEARS, OVER 100 PROJECTS HAVE HAD SOME FORM OF APPRENTICE UTILIZATION PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUILDING FUTURES. THESE ACTIVITIES HELP INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE REGISTERED APPRENTICES BEING TRAINED IN CONSTRUCTION OCCUPATIONS ON CURRENT AND FUTURE PROJECTS.
NTEE category: Employment
Secondary category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building