The pre-apprenticeship program targets residents in areas that have historically been excluded from economic opportunities or have been subject to disproportionate burdens of pollution.
Marginalized communities and residents in Illinois are being offered a new pre-apprenticeship program that aims to address workforce gaps in the clean energy and construction industries.
The partnership between 548 Foundation and the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MACRC) establishes a training pathway that blends MACRC’s carpentry apprenticeship curriculum with the 300- and 450-hour renewable energy training programs offered by 548 Foundation.
The pre-apprenticeship prioritizes placing graduates on projects within the clean energy and renewable energy sectors.
Participants in the program earn the following certifications:
Part of the partnership’s focus is to give students a well-rounded education “so that if they do perhaps want to pursue a different craft within our trade, they can have that background experience and work elsewhere,” Phil Davidson, MACRC’s director of communications, told pv magazine USA.
The program gives them training and background “so they’re ready to go and hit the ground running when they get hired and go to their first job,” Davidson said. “That’s what this program is about. A contractor can be comfortable and know that this person has received all the training they need to be ready to start working and know what they are doing.”
Upon completion of the 9-week program, graduates become official first-year apprentices, earning $22 per hour plus benefits, Davidson said.
The program targets underserved communities. Equity investment eligible communities are geographic areas throughout Illinois where residents have historically been excluded from economic opportunities, including opportunities in the energy sector, or have historically been subject to disproportionate burdens of pollution, including pollution from the energy sector. These areas are defined pursuant to section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation Tax Act and the Illinois Power Agency Act (20 ILCS 3855/1-10), respectively.
The program’s participants will receive stipends during the program, along with the technical training, mentorship and job-placement assistance the program offers. Completion of the program qualifies its graduates to become first-year apprentices in the MACRC Apprentice Training Program.
(See also: Chicago solar workforce training program honors graduates)
“The impact of this partnership will ripple for decades,” founder and CEO of 548 Enterprise and 548 Foundation, A.J. Patton, said.
The 548 Foundation was a partner in launching the Sustainability Hub on the west-side of Chicago, an apprenticeship program that targets targeting veterans, formerly incarcerated citizens returning to the workforce (returning citizens), and high school-aged adults from underserved communities.
“The renewable industry is obviously really busy right now. There’s more and more happening, even with all the changes in the administration is impacting everything,” Davidson said. “I think it made a whole lot of sense for us to be able to create a new pipeline of talent.
Patton had a vision, Davidson said. When Patton pitched his vision to leverage their combined expertise by partnering the 548 Foundation with MACRC, “we thought it was a great opportunity to create work opportunities,” he said.
To Patton, the 548 Foundation strives to see how many people it can “uplift and put on a track to a better quality of life for them and their families, for generations.”
“Union jobs have lifted millions of people into middle-class lifestyles, and that’s the type of impact we’re looking to make at 548 Foundation,” Patton said.
While nothing is established yet, Davidson said they are currently considering expanding the pre-apprenticeship program to the St. Louis region.
People interested in joining the program can fill out the 548 Foundation’s eligibility form here.
Popular content
