VCU news

By Joan Tupponce

On June 24, Jonathan Jones marked a career milestone when he graduated from the VCU Facilities Management Apprenticeship Program.

Jones enrolled in the program in March 2018 after working in the restaurant industry for most of his life. He learned about the apprenticeship program while working as a temporary laborer at VCU and his supervisor noticed he would come to work early every day.

“I told him I was studying about heating, ventilation and air conditioning. He told me that VCU had an apprenticeship program and I filled out an application,” Jones said.

The program, which started in 2017, is an initiative of VCU Facilities Management to bolster the university’s workforce of skilled tradespeople. Apprentices train to become certified heating, ventilation and air-condition technicians, electricians, locksmiths and plumbers.

Under the four-year program, individuals receive structured on-the-job training, technical education and related classroom instruction.

They work as full-time university and academic professional employees with salary and benefits, learning from licensed journeymen, mentors, supervisors and other Facilities Management employees to gain the skills and knowledge to become highly qualified in their trade. The apprentices also learn various codes, safety rules, regulations and procedures, appropriate use of tools, how to read and interpret documentation, troubleshooting, teamwork and communication skills.

“When I came here five years ago, VCU didn’t have an apprenticeship program,” said Richard Sliwoski, associate vice president of Facilities Management. “We have trouble finding tradespeople so I decided to set up an apprenticeship program and train them. The program helps us get a diverse workforce and ensures that we have the talent we need to maintain our properties.” 

Jones, 30, who didn’t graduate from high school, said he entered the apprenticeship program because he wanted to do something with his life. 

“I wanted to learn something. This has been a great second chance. It provides a lot of opportunity. There is a lot that you can learn, things that have transitioned over into my own life,” he said. “This is fun for me.”

During his apprenticeship, he has enjoyed teaching other apprentices and would like to continue in that role.

“I would like to mentor other apprentices,” Jones said. 

An introduction to the construction industry

In addition to the apprenticeship program, Sliwoski was also instrumental in founding a Quick Start Construction Training program in 2017. The community pilot program teaches the basics of construction work to Richmond residents who have struggled with addiction, homelessness and incarceration in order to give them a new opportunity and career, while also funneling trained workers to the state and local construction industry.

The four-week program was initiated and then started by VCU and  in conjunction with former Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody and his program department, as well as community nonprofits REAL LIFE and CARITAS. 

The first cohort of participants found their way to the program after previously taking part in either the sheriff’s office’s re-entry program, Recovering from Everyday Addictive Lifestyle, or the CARITAS Works job and life skills program. 

“We pay participants in the [Quick Start Construction Training] program $300 to take the course. At the end of the course, we give them all their personal gear, from tools to hard-toed shoes, so when they showed up for work they would have everything they needed to be successful,” Sliwoski said. 

The construction industry is in need of employees. 

“The construction industry was hurting. We have so many employers calling us and begging for people to place in employment,” said Sarah Scarbrough, Ph.D., director and founder of REAL LIFE, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for individuals affected by incarceration, homelessness or substance abuse disorder. 

“A lot of the folks we serve and house have had jobs in the construction industry before, but they have been under-the-table jobs with no potential for growth or health care. There is no opportunity for training or development. We developed this program to overcome those obstacles,” she said. 

Though courses were suspended last year due to COVID-19, individuals in Quick Start Construction Training receive an introduction to construction as well as information on how to keep a job. 

“We teach them employability skills they haven’t learned and that prohibit growth or lead to termination,” said Marilyn Milio, director of workforce programs and training at CARITAS. “We make sure that they are employable and remain that way. It’s a huge advantage to employers to hire people that have gone through the program.”

The stipend is an opportunity for participants in the program to have an income while taking the class.

“VCU and the VCU Health system have funded it since the first year. It has been so easy to do this with them. They are phenomenal partners,” Milio said.

“A lot of the folks we serve and house have had jobs in the construction industry before, but they have been under-the-table jobs with no potential for growth or health care. There is no opportunity for training or development. We developed this program to overcome those obstacles.”

Sarah Scarbrough, Ph.D.

Participants who have finished the program are able to easily gain employment, said Scarbrough, who graduated from VCU in 2007 with a master’s degree in criminal justice and in 2012 with a Ph.D. in public policy from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

“The majority have a job by the end of class or a week or so after," Scarbrough said. “Some go into an apprenticeship program or trade or job.”

Participants receive a certificate when they graduate from the program. They are also certified through the National Center for Construction Education and Research and are certified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as being first-aid and CPR certified.

“We have had close to 100 individuals over the course of seven classes since 2017. Almost 100 have found jobs,” Scarbrough said. “We have had people relapse, but the large majority have remained employed and worked their way up. We see a lot of growth.”

Tramaine Thompson, 49, had no construction experience when he entered the Quick Start Construction Training program through CARITAS. 

Thompson, who had a 20-year history with drug abuse, said he needed help.

“I was really down and out,” he said. “I did an apprenticeship with Atlantic Constructors and started from the bottom and worked my way up. I got my state electrical license and I’ve just started a new job with Folkes Electrical Construction.”

He credits the Quick Start Construction Training with paving the way to his success.

“I think the program was great,” he said. “It saved me and now I have a trade.”