Everybody Builds has officially celebrated our first birthday as an organization! To mark the occasion, let’s celebrate our growth and early impact and look ahead to year two. During our first year, we worked to quickly assess the industry’s needs and identified workforce development as our first priority. We developed and strengthened meaningful partnerships with union trades and associations, workforce training programs, developers and owners, contractors, and community organizations. It is through the establishment and growth of these partnerships that we as an organization have been able to grow, and in turn, serve our industry and community.
Partnerships: Connections, Community, Careers
Robust partnerships are at the core of our work. These relationships allow us to pave a seamless pathway for individuals and entrepreneurs seeking opportunities in the union construction industry and play a vital role as we support and engage them throughout their career and entrepreneurship journey. Utilizing partnerships to create strong diverse talent and future business pipelines for the Philadelphia construction industry is not just about finding candidates; it’s about creating a pathway for individuals to step into these roles and thrive.
Next-Generation Construction Industry Leaders
We know the importance of first-hand experience when it comes to generating excitement and gaining a true understanding of what a potential career in the construction industry looks like. That’s why we’ve engaged with partner programs like Carpenters’ Apprentice Readiness Program (CARP), Women in Non-Traditional Careers (WINC), IBEW Local 98’s Rosie’s Girls’, NAWIC’s MyWIC camp, and the Finishing Trades Institute of the Mid-Atlantic Region’s (FTI-MAR) VIP Program to coordinate experiences such as construction job site visits, information sessions, and trade fairs. We have also provided job readiness tools and equipment to programs so individuals are ready to step foot on the jobsite.These hands-on experiences and tools provide work readiness and real-world understanding of what it takes to work in the construction industry. Individuals gain valuable insights into potential career paths and connections between the trades, community members, contractors, and owners are fostered.
Through partnerships with programs like these, we are actively engaged in outreach to communities to ensure awareness of training opportunities in the trades among Philadelphia residents. This allows us to connect programs with community groups and diverse individuals, broadening the talent pool and promoting inclusivity and diversity in the workforce.
We continue to actively host contractor engagement events, tours, informational sessions, and employment fairs throughout the year.
Connections to Employment for Graduates
We recognize the significance of providing ongoing support for partner programs to ensure the successful integration of graduates into the workforce. Through partnerships with pre-apprenticeship and workforce programs with pipelines into the construction industry, we can extend support to ensure awareness and connections by contractors of these programs, creating future connections to opportunities for employment of apprentices in the industry. This commitment not only reinforces the value of these programs but also enhances the understanding of the preparation and workforce development efforts. Support doesn’t stop at graduation. Those who complete our partner training programs receive ongoing assistance and wrap-around services through barrier reduction funds, referrals to community resources, and access to a network of other apprentices and construction industry professionals.
Supporting Contractors through Workforce Efforts
While prioritizing partnerships aimed at workforce talent growth and development, we found that supporting workforce programs also benefited contractors. Our events and outreach efforts facilitate connections between diverse contractor businesses and workforce talent, resulting in direct contractor support. We have developed partnerships with business support organizations and providers to refer contractors to resources that can enhance their business and address immediate needs. We made direct referrals for contractors and provided one-on-one support as the need arose. We look forward to formally growing our capacity to support diverse contractors in 2024.
2024 and Beyond
During our foundational year, we took a multifaceted approach to workforce development, including strategic industry partnerships, employment connections, direct engagement with program participants, and community outreach. We also found opportunities to individually support diverse contractors through our workforce development efforts.
In 2024, we will continue to develop and grow our partnerships with trade and workforce partners, and equally exciting, we will begin to catalog a comprehensive pipeline of current and upcoming construction projects in Philadelphia with hiring opportunities. With this information and collaboration with our trade partners, we can facilitate more effective and efficient coordination of program training with hiring schedules across the entire industry. Everybody Builds is positioned to serve as the “connective tissue” to weave together opportunities in the pathway to employment for Philadelphia’s population.
We will also build on our individualized diverse contractor support efforts and partnerships to formally develop and prepare to pilot our contractor program. In partnership with other business support organizations and our developer, owner, and contractor partners, we will vet, prepare, and provide opportunities for diverse contractors to access resources and projects that allows them to grow their businesses in a sustainable way.
Through continued collaboration, Everybody Builds is not just connecting people to work, training and entrepreneurship opportunities; we are creating a more diverse construction workforce and building a foundation for strong diverse construction businesses. We ultimately envision a Philadelphia construction industry that reflects the rich diversity of our city and will continue to work towards this one year, one month, and one day at a time.
Please follow along and partner with us for an exciting second year!
Andreina Perez Hein
Executive Director
Everybody Builds