Construction skills program builds pathways for career success

With a pandemic, economic pains and labor shortages transforming workplaces in recent years, job seekers are looking more closely at skill-driven professions such as carpentry and construction as alternatives to four-year degrees or perhaps as a second act or third act after decades on different job tracks.

And a recently launched training program with a network of community partners is working to emphasize those opportunities for area residents, even for those who have never picked up a hammer or installed drywall or window frames.

Career Development and Placement Strategies Inc., a Cleveland-based program with operations in Akron's Middlebury neighborhood, works to create a path to proficiency in the construction industry for people who might otherwise have thought such assistance was out of reach.

The CDPS carpentry and building trades training program operates out of a facility at 221 Beaver St. that The Well CDC uses to store building materials for its home rehabilitation projects. Students complete a 12-week course schedule that combines classroom and hands-on training sessions four days a week, six hours a day for over 280 hours of instruction.

The Akron-area program, launched in November 2021, focuses on leading curious, prospective craftspeople down the road to becoming confident carpenters or builders.

CDPS provides the foundation for students' future success

CPDS officials say the Carpentry and Building Trades training program instills students with the basic construction knowledge and skills that will allow them to become proficient and confident carpenters or builders.

"Everything the students learn in a more advanced class down the road, or in an apprenticeship, it's going to be based on the initial foundation of what the tools are and how do we use them," said Paul Magnus, director of programs for CDPS. "What we are trying to accomplish is the building and expansion of this construction knowledge foundation, as well as expand the pool of applicants for carpentry and the skill trades in general."

Glimpse at a routine training day

A typical day starts with students engaging in classroom instruction prior to moving on to the hands-on training portion of the day. Students are tested on each unit and are expected to pass a final exam before graduating.

Though emphasis is placed on the actual construction knowledge and skills gained throughout the course of the program, Magnus also emphasized the importance of maintaining excellent attendance throughout the sessions, a "soft skill" that he said more and more employees are learning to value.

"Employers are looking for those soft skills in potential candidates for apprenticeships or jobs; anybody can say 'I'm a good worker' or 'I'm dedicated' but it is crucial in this business to show that you are actually reliable and being on time and keeping up with attendance is something we really emphasize with our students in this program," Magnus said.

Training includes basic jobsite safety, including working around hazardous materials such as lead and asbestos, laying out and constructing a wood floor, fabricating basic stairways, installation of windows and interior and exterior doorways, and installing drywall. Basic instruction in electrical safety and plumbing, as well as painting, are also offered throughout this program.

Following completion of coursework, participants are certified by the National Center for Construction Education and Research. CDPS partners with NCCER as well as the Associated Builders and Contractors of Northern Ohio to sponsor the building trades training program.

Graduating from the CDPS program

Graduating students have gone on to work with such organizations as the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority and for projects including the construction of the Sherwin Williams headquarters in downtown Cleveland.

"There's a job development and placement process that we do for our graduates; we help them prepare for the interviews and even learn how to target companies and understand if this is a good, reputable construction company to get involved with," said Magnus.

Lafayette Foster, who completed the program in September, was able to land a position working on the construction of the Sherwin Williams headquarters in downtown Cleveland upon graduation.

"This was a very friendly environment and the instructor was really receptive to feedback and he really helped us learn more about things such as framing houses or how to properly follow safety measures and protocols and information like that that I've been able to take with me on my current job, a major multi-million dollar Sherwin Williams project," Foster said.

"It was a great experience for me and I try to refer all my friends and family to this program. The hands-on and classroom training was a great combination and this program has allowed me to overcome my past transgressions and really succeed in this industry in a way I could not have imagined," Foster said.

Organizations such as Cleveland Construction welcome the opportunity for graduates to become apprentices and grow within the company.

"It's been difficult for us to get skilled trade people who already have a solid background on adhering to safety regulations and proper handling of equipment on our job sites, and the wealth of knowledge that candidates have acquired through this particular program make them invaluable assets to our team," said Cleveland Construction Apprenticeship Program Manager Devan Kurilko. "We look forward to working with more individuals who have graduated from this training program in the future."

More about CDPS

The Carpentry/Building trades program emphasized three goals: to help under-resourced communities take steps towards self-sufficiency by reducing the skills gap, to develop partnerships that promote long-term sustainable communities through collaboration and to ensure students and participants as well as future generations are less dependent on public support in reaching life goals.

The CDPS, incorporated in 2009 as a 501 (c)(3) organization, focuses on workforce development, providing quality training to help individuals develop skills and industry-recognized certifications combined with training in career planning and job search strategies to expand employment opportunities, according to the CDPS catalog of training.

The Rising Above Program, another program offered by CDPS, helps fathers adjust to parenthood and increase their employability skills to better the lives of themselves and their families. Training on financial literacy, conflict resolution, goal setting and interviewing skills are offered in this program, which was originally established in 1996 for incarcerated fathers, but has since spread to all new fathers within the Northeast Ohio area.

To learn more about CDPS, and to register for future Carpentry and Building Trades Training Trades programs or the Rising Above program, please visit cdps4u.org.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Skills program builds path to success for future construction workers