PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia’s Rebuild program is recruiting for the next class in its career-training program for people who are underrepresented in the building trades.
AnIsa Harris always wanted to work construction. After high school, he went to a technical institute and then found work with contractors, but still felt like he’d hit a dead end.
“They didn’t want to show me anything that required skill or math. They just get me stagnating, just labor of the kind that just breaks your back,” Harris said.
That’s changed in the last year since Harris took the Rebuild training program and became an apprentice cement mason.
“All the opportunity I’m getting to learn, just a lot of people trying to show me. I’m just happy I got the opportunity,” Harris said.
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Rebuild executive director Kira Strong said she’s committed to getting 30 people a year into the program — women and people of color — whether they eventually go to work on Rebuild projects or not.
Of last year’s class, she said 18 stayed with it to the end and got apprenticeship offers.
“This round, we are focusing on candidates with experience in construction that have a desire to build a career in the actual building trades,” she explained.
The building trades have been difficult to diversify so that became one of the goals of Rebuild.
The half-billion dollar program, funded by the sweetened beverage tax, hopes to renovate hundreds of public facilities such as libraries and recreation centers.
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