October 1, 2017 – Mayor Byron W. Brown announced recruiting for the Northland Corridor Project Pre-Apprenticeship Program is underway. The first applications were made available Thursday evening, at the fourth in a series of Community Workforce Outreach meetings regarding the over $60 million project. The Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program is part of the Northland Project Labor Agreement (PLA) between the Buffalo Urban Development Corp. (BUDC) and the Buffalo Building and Construction Trades Council for the rehabilitation of 683 Northland Ave into the Northland Workforce Training Center, which was signed in June.
“Through the PLA we are able to ensure Buffalo’s diverse communities will share in promise of construction job opportunities that will come out of this game-changing economic development project. Among those opportunities is the chance for individuals to explore careers in the construction trades,” Mayor Brown said. “Under the agreement, 20 eight-week, paid, pre-apprenticeship training slots will be available. Successful completion of the program is a pathway to full apprenticeships and well-paying careers in the trades.”
The small group training sessions will be taught by journeymen from the Buffalo Building and Construction Trades Council. The Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program uses a “holistic approach” to basic skills development, including construction related mathematics, job search training, and exposure to various fields of skilled labor and their professional cultures. Beyond skills enhancement, the program also seeks to instill the basic awareness that construction and skilled trades are viable employment option for minorities, women, and people living in poverty. The program helps build confidence in each program graduate – allowing them to reach new opportunities in the skilled labor market. Recruitment for the paid training program is focused on the project ZIP code of 14215 and surrounding ZIP codes. There are 18 potential categories of trade apprenticeships, including: carpenters, laborers, electricians, plumbers and iron workers.
Application deadlines for the staggered training classes are July 24, September 24, October 16 and November 27. No construction experience is required. Applicants must be high school graduates or have a GED, have a Learner’s Permit or Driver’s License or reliable transportation, be authorized to work in the United States, and pass a drug test.
Application forms will be available at the Buffalo Employment Training Center (BETC), 77 Goodell St., the Northland Construction site, and at Compliance & Administrative Services of New York (CASNY), 18 Tracy St.
Applications can also be downloaded here.
In addition to the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program, the PLA includes a “Community Workforce Agreement” that sets high goals for the employment of minorities, women, city resident and apprentices. Specifically, the project has a 25% minority, 5% female, 30% city resident, and 20% apprentice hour goals.
“These goals will be consistently monitored, ensuring that all city residents can participate in the economic lifeblood of our city,” Mayor Brown said.
The more than $60 million Northland Corridor Project is transforming an idle, 35-acre former industrial site into a light industrial business hub that will include the state-of-the-art Western New York Workforce Training Center. The project also includes streetscape upgrades to the East Delavan-Grider neighborhood.