Carpentry And Building Trades Training Program Aims To Expand Opportunities

As our community begins its recovery from the COVID – 19 Pandemic, many people are taking time to explore careers that will have more sustainability in the years to come.

With this in mind, Career Development and Placement Strategies (CDPS) is encouraging individuals to explore the opportunities in the skilled trades such as their upcoming course, Carpentry and Building Trades Training.

The training will take place at their new training site located at 221 Beaver Street in Akron. The in-person training will follow COVID-preventive policies and procedures established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The course runs for 12 weeks, at 24 hours per week, from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. The 288-hour course allows for both classroom and hands-on training from master instructors in carpentry and building trades. The work-based training is a pathway to apprenticeships, allowing students to earn while they learn. According to Maurice Stevens, President and CEO of CDPS, “Students will earn an industry-recognized certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research.”

CDPS is on a mission to integrate workforce development with economic development. Growth in the building trades and residential and commercial carpentry sector is often limited by shortages of a skilled workforce. Opportunities for individuals are limited by a lack of training and credentials. Apprenticeships can often address the shortage of skilled workers while expanding opportunities for communities to provide needed training. CDPS’s own pathway to this training started with being awarded a start-up grant to develop Expert Reclaim, a social enterprise working to redevelop homes in the Greater Cleveland Community. Expert Reclaim’s social enterprise allowed CDPS to train individuals for employment and business start-up opportunities in the remodeling industry.

Today’s expansion into apprenticeship programming builds on its original mission while developing options for individuals to earn while learning through apprenticeships. Following the related instruction in Carpentry and Building Trades Training, successful graduates will be matched with companies offering apprenticeships in residential and commercial carpentry.

According to Maurice Stevens, “our aim is to create a pathway to jobs that provide a future, not just a job. The key is to help our students start out with an industry-recognized certification that opens doors in the high growth field of carpentry.” By providing individuals with a marketable skill and certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research, CDPS will help address the skill and wage gap for individuals. CDPS expects that not all the individuals laid off during the pandemic will return to work in their former occupation. This factor, combined with a persistent skills and wage gap for individuals struggling in today’s economy, reinforces the need for more skill training in the trades.

To qualify for training, applicants must have a high school diploma or a G.E.D. Funding is provided by Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA). CDPS’s Carpentry and Building Trades Training is free to individuals eligible for funding under WIOA. The training is approved and registered by the Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools.

Interested individuals seeking assistance or employers interested in filling vacancies and offering on-the-job training through apprenticeships are encouraged to contact Career Development and Placement Strategies by phone at 330-752-7129 or go online at www.cdps4u.org.

Women and minorities are encouraged to apply and consider building a future through apprenticeship programming.