By Steven Spinola
The Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills has come a long way.
Since its creation in 2001, it has become a widely renowned program known for creating career opportunities for people throughout all five boroughs, training New York’s diverse workforce, and enabling the members of that workforce to earn fair wages.
In this period of economic growth, Construction Skills’ business model has allowed it to produce consistently positive results, and it has been improving on itself since it began.
For these reasons, Construction Skills was recently the subject of a study by Columbia University’s School of International Affairs, entitled, “Expanding Opportunity For Middle Class Jobs in New York City: Minority Youth Employment In The Building and Construction Trades.”
Conducted by Ester R. Fuchs, Dorian Warren, and Kimberly Bayer, the study takes an in-depth look at Construction Skills’ graduation and retention rates, structuring of programs, and general workings in order to identify what has made it so successful, and how successful it actually is in fulfilling its goal of preparing and trained and skilled workforce from diverse communities.
The report cites many statistics reflecting the achievements of Construction Skills and the people it graduates.
Between 2001 and 2013, for example, the program has placed 82 percent of its graduates, 90 percent of whom are black, Hispanic or Asian, into union apprenticeship programs.
In addition, the construction jobs that the program places these youths into has an average salary of $67,110.
Boasting a retention rate of 80 percent and participants who hail from every borough in New York, Construction Skills is clearly doing its part in building New York’s future, literally and figuratively.
The report also delves into the history of Construction Skills and analyzes the structure of its programs, from the challenges they present to the designs of the programs themselves.
By maintaining a healthy relationship with union apprenticeship programs, Construction Skills is able to link its recruitment rate with how many reserved apprenticeship openings are available.
This certainty with which it can go about securing these placements for its graduates is just one of the contributing factors to the high rate of success reached by those who pass through Construction Skills.
It goes on to consider whether Construction Skills’ extremely efficient business model would be adaptable to other industries where demand for skilled labor is high.
By analyzing exactly what makes Construction Skills operate so well, the report is able to isolate these qualities and make suggestions on how they could be applied elsewhere. In doing this, it hopes to put forward recommendations that the authors believe will optimize New York’s growth as well as create career opportunities throughout the five boroughs.
Construction Skills is a shining example of what can be achieved when an entity is well-organized and committed to its mission.
Hailing the program as an “innovative successful workforce development model that has succeeded in placing minority youth in middle class careers in the construction industry,” the report lauds the program for its contributions to the city’s workforce.
I commend the Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills for its fine work, as well as Columbia University’s School for Internal Affairs for taking note of it.
By studying successful business models, we are able to translate that success into our own industries, which will ultimately create a better city.
In other REBNY news:
June 18 is the Brooklyn Committee’s cocktail event at the Brooklyn Winery from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, contact Jeanne Oliver-Taylor at JTaylor@rebny.com.
July 15 at 9:30 a.m. is the next Sales Agent Boot Camp, “Don’t Be Afraid of the Phone.” The event features speaker Eric Barron, CEO of Keller Williams NYC. Sales Agent Boot Camp is a free seminar offered to Residential REBNY members and geared towards agents who have been licensed 3 years or less. For more information, email REBNYResidentialEvents@REBNY.com.
June 27 is the next Residential Rental Clinic Seminar, which takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the REBNY Mendik Education Center. This is a free seminar for REBNY members only, and registration is required. For more information contact Yesenia Perez at yperez@rebny.com.
July 9 is the Residential Sales Council, which will be taking place between noon and 2 p.m. in the REBNY Litwin Classroom. Open to all REBNY Sales Agents and Broker C members (Associate Broker) providing an opportunity to be more active and share their ideas concerning business practices and examining market trends. Meets monthly. For more information contact Yesenia Perez at yperez@rebny.com.
July 11 is the RSC Executive Committee, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the REBNY Burton Resnick Conference Room. The RSC Executive Committee is a subcommittee of the Residential Sales Council, and is open only to RSC executive members and by invitation. For more information, contact Jeanne Oliver Taylor at JTaylor@rebny.com.
July 15 at 9:30 a.m. is the next Sales Agent Boot Camp, “Don’t Be Afraid of the Phone.” The event features speaker Eric Barron, CEO of Keller Williams NYC. Sales Agent Boot Camp is a free seminar offered to Residential REBNY members and geared towards agents who have been licensed 3 years or less. For more information, email REBNYResidentialEvents@REBNY.com.
