CONSTRUCTION TRADES PROGRAM
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION
The ULMS Construction Trades Program (CTP) is dedicated to assisting and preparing individuals to enter pre-apprenticeship programs and access to work in the construction industry. CTP can assist with applications and collection of required documents needed to enter a training program. Our goal is to provide wraparound support services for those with a serious interest to work in the construction trade of their choice.
Our programmatic structure creates pathways and removes barriers for participants that may be related to work, economic status, finances or personal concerns. This includes barriers range from soft skills training, to drivers re-licensing, housing and even certification training. Removing such barriers allows clients to be work ready and gives them access to new beginnings and a second chance in life.
Participants generally include those who live in economically distressed parts of the city, as these areas have a high rate of community members who are living at or below the 20% federal poverty guidelines, are unemployed, or do not have a college degree.
We recognize the lack of representation for workers of color when it comes to construction and other related industries. This is why it’s our goal to not only provide training and job access within this specific workforce, but also emphasize and support women and people of color as valuable contributions to the industry.
Financial Services
- Books
- Supplies
- Tools
- Work clothes
- Tuition
- Transportation
- Initiation fees
- Relicensing
- Union dues
*Referral Services only*
- Credit counseling
- First-time homebuyer class
- Digital literacy
- Housing assistance
Enrollment for the Construction Trades program is on a rolling basis, so feel free to register at any time. All Contruction Trades program participants must meet the following guidelines in order to successfully enroll in the program:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- WA state resident
- Have driver’s license (or can get one)
- Serious interest in construction
- Available to attend information session
Becoming an active participant in the Construction Trade Program is a 3 part process:
To begin, all interested participants must click the button above and complete the online sign-up form.
Are you ready to take the first step?
construction industry
Why is construction a good career move?
Construction jobs have always carried an unflattering stigma. For instance, when you hear “construction”, you likely think of things like like manual labor, dirt, boots, hard hats and possibly metal lunch boxes.
However – with 9 million employees globally – construction is the number one vocation of those who choose to enter the workforce instead of pursuing college enrollment. The problem is not a lack of quality of jobs, but it’s the perception of those roles in general that leave them unfilled.
Many people are hesitant to enter the construction industry because they believe it requires extreme physical labor for very little payoff – an untrue myth that’s never truly been debunked.
In reality, construction workers without a college degree can earn a median salary of around $75,000 per year for certain jobs. They can also receive and enjoy medical, dental, and retirement benefits. Construction managers can even make as much as some computer engineers and programmers with an average yearly salary of $95,000.
Construction is one of the only industries where you can excel and progress within a company without needing to be traditionally educated with a four-year degree.
In 2018, the top 10 highest paid-construction jobs that did not require a four-year degree include:
- Elevator Installers & Repairers: $79.7k
- Boiler Makers: $62.1k
- Construction/Building Inspector: $59.7k
- Electricians: $55.1k
- Plumbers/Pipe Fitter: $53.9k
- Iron Worker: $52.7k
- Sheetmetal Worker: $48.5k
- Construction Equipment Operators: $46.9k
- Mason: $44.8k
- Roofers: $39.9k
A labor union is an organization that acts as an intermediary, or liaison, between workers and their employers. The main purpose of a labor union is to give workers the power to negotiate for more favorable working conditions, pay and other benefits through collective bargaining.
Collective bargaining is a process that allows the voices of individual workers to be heard as a group, in order to increase negotiating power. Unionized workers typically elect representatives to bring their concerns to the entire Union’s attention, then come up with resolution to benefit the group.
Other groups who are members of labor unions include but are not limited to:
- Police Officers/Law Enforcement
- Teachers
- Pilots
- Nurses
- Firefighters
- Farm Workers
- Miners
Union workers benefit most from the Union’s collective bargaining power to negotiate with employers on their behalf. Other benefits include:
- Protection from unjust termination – prevents being dismissed from a job without “just cause” as opposed to those who can be fired “at will”.
- Option to strike – allows workers to stop working to protest labor conditions or as a tool during labor/management negotiations.
- Pay negotiation – promotes wage increases on a regular basis and ensures that all workers are earning livable pay.
- Better work conditions – provides the opportunity to negotiate better working conditions without remand as well as other work-related benefits like improved safety measures.
- Training for new skills – union workers receive training opportunities while on the job to improve their skills and increase professional development and job security.
Partners
Special thanks to our Construction Trades program partners!
