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Causes: Education, Vocational & Technical Schools
Programs: Building skills ny has launched a construction industry employment initiative in 2016 to hire new york city residents to work in the construction industry, and to create a career path for those hires who have the interest, capability and capacity to succeed in the construction trades. Participating developers and contractors will ask their general contractors and subcontractors to commit to hire a number of building skills referrals over the course of the next year. These referrals will be referred by public and not for profit agencies, will have been vetted by building skills, will have an osha 10 certificate and a high school diploma or equivalent, and are expected to have a minimal level of experience in construction. (continued on schedule o)contractors will be asked to provide an opportunity for these new hires to work as laborers or helpers/assistants in their trades, and to evaluate them at the end of their employment. In addition to providing us with an assessment of their skills, contractors will be asked to assess the prospects for these individuals to benefit for further training in a trade. We will also ask if there are any other nyc residents working for the contractors who can also benefit for training. Building skills is currently conducting a pilot course in level one plumbing, and we plan on providing training in more trades in 2017. In addition to the training, building skills will maintain a database of experienced workers, referred by industry employers, for referral for future work. This virtual hiring hall, as it is built up over time, will provide a resource for contractors and subcontractors to address hiring needs. Contractors and subcontractors will be asked to participate in this data base by providing referrals of successful employees who are hired on a temporary basis, and by providing job placements when hiring opportunities arise. The goals of this initiative are three-fold. One, it is an opportunity for the industry to take steps to address unemployment and underemployment in new york city by committing to provide entry level jobs to new york city residents. Second, by creating a process to enable successful employees to receive further training and access to placement in jobs when an original job placement is completed, the initiative will enable these employees to develop the skills to learn a trade and have a career in the construction trades; third, by providing training and a source of trained workers for employers, this initiative will create a better qualified and more productive workforce for the future. This program is primarily supported by contributions.