Unlocking opportunities with Skilled Trades

In 2023 the Associated Builders and Contractors reported on the construction industry workforce shortages which increased to over half a million positions due to growth in large-scale projects, too few younger workers entering the skilled trades, and nearly one in four construction workers older than 55 retiring from the labor force.

The problem is not just with the shortage of workers - there is an ongoing equity problem. Women make up nearly 50% of the US workforce they are significantly underrepresented in high-paying, high-demand occupations, and especially in skilled trades. Currently, women make up just 11% of all workers in the construction industry, & that number falls to just 4% if you remove office and clerical positions. Black workers make up less than 7% of the construction workforce, and their Hispanic or Latino peers are disproportionately concentrated in lower paying construction jobs. 

Skilled trades offer opportunities for a family-sustaining income without equitable access to the industry, many women never enter the construction market, even if they are interested. Failure to address this issue perpetuates the ongoing skilled trade labor shortage, the lack of on-ramps, accessible training opportunities, and pathways out of poverty, especially for women & underrepresented minorities. 

Apprenticeships are a key part of the workforce development pipeline, skilled trades can accelerate economic mobility for struggling families; however, barriers to entry into the construction and manufacturing sector for women, particularly those of color, remain. Stereotypes regarding physical capabilities of women, advertisements targeted specifically to men, and a lack of encouragement of girls from a young age all deter women from choosing careers in the skilled trades. 

She Built This City (SBTC) is working to change these inequities and barriers by increasing the number and percentage of women working in the construction trades 

SBTC prepares women from diverse backgrounds – including under-resourced and underserved populations such as veterans, displaced workers, economically disadvantaged, and formerly incarcerated persons, with the skills to build successful careers in the skilled trades. 

• Trades Exploration & Builder Programs: Designed for youth aged 7 to 17, these activities provide opportunities for exploration in maker spaces that girls and marginalized communities are not traditionally exposed to, including carpentry, electrical, plumbing, engineering, and entrepreneurship in underrepresented spaces.

• SBTC provides industry driven workforce development training that qualifies candidates for entry level job positions and/or apprenticeship placement via an 9-week free vocational training program. 

There is a widening gap in the workforce for those working in low-paying jobs with few options to move up economically. Those low-paid workers face the dilemma of remaining in unfulfilling jobs or exiting the job market altogether. One of the biggest deterrent to up-skilling is time and money. 

SBTC is committed to helping prepare women, underemployed, unemployed, and marginalized individuals with career mobility. Our Pre-Apprenticeship program is at no charge with women representing 90% of our enrollment, with the following historical demographics 67% African-American, 24% Hispanic, 7% White, 2% Asian. 

SBTC goal is to remove as many barriers, as a barrier removal program SBTC wraparound services provides on-site childcare (ages 3-12), supervision, stipends, meals, chrome-books, tools, and work boots. We offer a variety of day and evening classes throughout the year to help provide a flexible schedule. For us, numbers matter because they represent people, jobs, and lives impacted. 

Our “Tour of the Trades” focuses on providing an introduction to electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, and painting. During the training cohorts learn basic construction math and tool handling (hand and power tools) and receive their OSHA 10 certification, First Aid/CPR training, interviewing skills, job fairs and job/apprenticeship placement. 

SBTC has been training pre-apprentices in the construction trades since 2021 through and our apprenticeship programs since 2022, providing the following credentials: SBTC is a certified NC DOL Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Program through the NC Apprenticeship and Community College System in General Building and Facilities Maintenance. 

Since 2021, SBTC has graduated over 200 pre-apprentices placing over 75% in jobs and/or Apprenticeships.  We’ve expanded our pre-apprenticeship & apprenticeship program to a second city Greensboro, NC with our first cohort scheduled to gradate on April 2024.  

SBTC has stayed at the forefront of workforce development training in our industry and in our region. Our reputation in the community and in the industry has earned us countless recognitions and award nominations such as the 2024 Gold Anthem Award in Diversity, Equity And Inclusion.  

SBTC has partnered with several major corporations such as Lowe’s, Moen, Timberland Pro, Kohler and Turner Construction just to name a few.  We’ve also worked in partnership with our city, county, and the federal government. 

SBTC has hosted a number of events in partnership with the Department of Labor, specifically the Women’s Bureau.  In 2022 and 2023, SBTC has been a featured speaker on webinars for the Department of Labor on how to engage girls and women in nontraditional careers. In 2023, we hosted a Roundtable Discussion with the head of the Women’s Bureau related to women in non-traditional occupations and the success of our pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.  In 2024, we hosted Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, Congresswoman Alma Adams and Vi Lyles, the first black woman Mayor of Charlotte in our workshop to discuss equal pay day.  

SBTC marked unprecedented growth within the communities we serve and a considerable expansion of our team to enhance our ability to support these communities effectively.

Our journey this past year has been nothing short of inspiring, with many milestones to celebrate. Two specific achievements stand prominently: the launch of our all-Spanish speaking cohort & the expansion site in 2024 into the Greensboro NC market where we successfully graduated 36 cohorts in our inaugural year.

As we continue to evolve and expand, we anticipate challenges but remain prepared to tackle them head-on, fully equipped with the necessary resilience and PPE. We aim to ignite curiosity and forge new paths for future job opportunities that have yet to be created.

• SBTC Youth Programming and/or Summer camps highlights:
  • Over 800 youth served
  • Over 1,000 curriculum kits project completed
  • 40% of students demonstrated an increase in understanding post-curriculum
  • 59% of students expressed an interest in working with tools when they grow up
  • Encompasses 6 recreation centers
• Significant growth in Pre-Apprentices and Apprentices programs
• Critical home repair program began in June 2023
  • Nearly 40 homes repaired
• Employer partnered networks have increased to over 20
• Collaboration with local city government to increase equitable opportunities for youth and adults.

Wesbite - shebuiltthiscity.org

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SheBuiltThisCityHQ/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/she.built.this.city/?hl=en

We are very intentional about addressing issues and obstacles that women and other marginalized groups face. This allows us to attract more people who want to upskill but have barriers, such as previously incarcerated individuals, veterans, and those in poverty, into the industry and retain them by creating a supportive, inclusive, and sustainable workforce in the construction industry. 

Women often bear the primary responsibility for child care. The construction industry typically does not offer traditional schedules, so even standard child care hours are not sufficient and many graduates have to turn down lucrative jobs as they may not be able to adjust their schedules quickly enough to accommodate their new childcare needs. We see value in removing this obstacle by helping them find secure and safe childcare options. We would like to continue to find creative solutions to solving child care dilemmas. 

Our staff will work with our Pre-Apprenticeship graduates to determine eligibility and screen individuals that would need child care solutions when SBTC provides career services. Based on available funding and cohort requirements, SBTC may also assist current Pre-Apprentices cohorts needing childcare for children under 3, a support we currently do not provide if funding permits. Childcare support will soon be included in our evaluation criteria to emphasize and track the program's key successes for future indicators.

Outputs and outcomes tracked for this project include:

• Number of women and individuals from underrepresented communities who enroll in the SBTC Pre-Apprenticeship program and percentage of women who complete the program. Target 90% of enrollees being women,  and (80%) completing the program; 
• Number and percentage of graduated women who report an increase in knowledge in one or more skills related to construction trades.  Target is 90% of those who complete the pre-apprenticeship training.
• Number and percentage of women and individuals from underrepresented communities who secure placement in the SBTC apprenticeship or Duke Energy Lineworker apprenticeship as a result of the funding provided. Target is 10% of those enrolled in the pre-apprenticeship training, with 90% being women.
• Number and percentage of women and individuals from underrepresented communities who successfully complete a RAP. Target is 80% of those enrolled, with 90% being women.

Full time staff - 8

Part time staff - 5

Contractors - 20

SBTC began in 2019 for youth to explore maker spaces in construction, engineering, carpentry, design, problem-solving to introduce pathways in the skilled trade industry. During the pandemic we adapted our strategy to maintain impact on our target audience, and this shift really helped shape who we are, who we serve, how we spread awareness, and create opportunities for our community. 

In 2021 SBTC obtained its NC DOL Pre-Apprenticeship certification in General Building & Facilities Maintenance (NC General Apprenticeship and Community College Systems). SBTC created its Apprenticeship program in 2022 to offer Registered Apprentice Program (RAP) services. 

SBTC is intentional about building and maintaining a racially, culturally, and gender diverse board of directors and team of employees, as we continue to seek the representation of the communities we serve. We seek out organizations such as the Latino Chamber of Commerce, 100 Black Women, and other diverse agencies as recruitment sources for our organization. All new board members since 2020 have been African-American and/or women as a better representation of the communities we serve. Those who make up our board are intentionally sought out to, not only ensure we are represented diversely, but also ensure individuals represent the needed skills and experience to guide our organization. As the board of directors grows, we regularly assess the board makeup, and seek to add individuals who can truly benefit the organization as a whole. Our lead staff team is make-up is 100% women with 88% African American and the remaining White Non-Hispanic.

We have a logic model that we can supply to show our business model.

SBTC has internal and external customers/beneficiaries. Our Pre-Apprenticeship program is at no charge to anyone in our program. We provide free workforce development program along with other barrier removal services. We also continued with our Apprenticeship program who are paid a livable wage with benefits. The Apprenticeships provide services to the local community through critical home repair so seniors and those with disabilities are provided repairs at no charge that qualify (most own the home for at least 5 years, not in foreclosure).

We have a healthy mix of grants, sponsorships, earned revenue and individual donors. Our work in Greensboro was seeded by the Lowe's Gable Grant initiative. We have also been able to raise funds from Greensboro specific partners like Saf-Gard since announcing our launch. Corporate sponsors such as Samet and Star Electric have come alongside us in our expansion with their support for what we do in Charlotte, and have been great partners to help us lay a strong foundation in Greensboro. As we grow our roots in Greensboro, we will begin to offer our fee for service lines of business such as summer camps, corporate trainings as well as critical home repair which provides sustaining revenues for the organization.

We've fostered strong collaborations with major employers, engagement with the Department of Labor Women's Bureau, State Government, Professional trades groups, and the local communities. For example Duke Energy, has partnered with us since our Pre-Apprenticeship program and recently created a new Electrical Line-worker Apprenticeship partnership to underwrite the training of mineworkers through our program.

Participating in the Truist Foundation/MIT Solve challenge will enable us to further our mission and continue building momentum. Our programs have already shown significant success. We recognize the unique challenges faced by women, particularly concerning childcare, which is often a barrier to entering or advancing in the construction industry. By offering innovative childcare solutions and support, we are committed to enabling women to seize lucrative job opportunities without compromising their family responsibilities. Our focus on inclusivity extends to other marginalized groups, including previously incarcerated individuals, veterans, and those in poverty. By addressing obstacles, we aim to attract and retain a diverse workforce, ultimately transforming lives and communities. Being part of the Truist Foundation/MIT Solve challenge would provide us with the resources and recognition to further amplify our efforts, ensuring that our impact is felt across more communities nationwide. We believe that, together, we can create a future where everyone has the chance to thrive. 

Collaboration with partners enhances SBTC's ability to provide impactful programs and services, including training, job opportunities, and community outreach. These partnerships strengthen connections with community leaders and members, enabling place-based workforce development training for women and marginalized communities. By leveraging partner resources, SBTC fosters inclusive opportunities, driving positive change in the communities it serves.