DETROIT – A new pre-apprenticeship program in Detroit is offering young people a pathway into construction careers, providing hands-on experience and technical training to the next generation of skilled workers.
The Construction Craft Laborer Pre-Apprenticeship Program, launched by Detroit Home Builders in partnership with Henry Ford College, is for students between 16 and 24 years old.
The program combines classroom instruction with practical training in various areas, including roofing, flooring, painting, and home repair.
“We designed our program specifically so that those that don’t know anything, have no knowledge or any skills at all, can come in at a basic entry level and learn the skills that will make them useful employees on the job site,” explains Anthony Legins, President of Detroit Home Builders.
The program begins with 144 hours of technical instruction and safety training, including OSHA certification, before transitioning students into paid, hands-on work experience.
“It gives them an opportunity to learn skills in a safe space,” said Danielle Funderburg, SEMCA Workforce Training Coordinator, emphasizing the program’s importance. “It doesn’t thrust them directly out into the workforce, where if there are certain skills that maybe they’re lacking, they get an opportunity to grow.”
For participants like Nakieta Hall, the program has been transformative. Initially interested in real estate sales, Hall discovered a new passion through the program.
“It actually made me change what I wanted to do career-wise because I realized I like building and being hands on verses being a seller,” Hall said.
The experience has even inspired her entrepreneurial aspirations.
“Right now, it’s just a learning thing and building with a company, and eventually I’ll have my own company,” Hall said.
The program is currently seeking participants for their next cohort.
Interested individuals can contact their local Michigan Works American Job Center or visit the SEMCA website.