At graduation time, construction class students ready with new skills and new opportunities
Teaching construction skills that empower students to begin a new career, the class also introduces families to the vital social services of the Spanish Catholic Center
At the June 14 graduation ceremony for the Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Program, the bright blue graduation caps tossed high into the air symbolized the accomplishments and hopes for bright futures in each of the graduates. It was a moment of pride and satisfaction, a milestone for the students who immigrated to the region to build a better life for themselves and their families.
The Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Program is a 12-week class designed to equip students, all immigrants, mainly from Latin America, with the basic skills necessary to begin a major field of construction apprenticeship carpentry, masonry and HVAC. Students learn in the classroom Monday through Wednesday, and then spend Thursdays putting their knowledge into action by working at a Habitat for Humanity work site. Even in an economic recession, program manager Celia Sterling said the class is a major step forward for the students.
“Many students work a part-time job while attending the class. They make the sacrifice of working a second or third job to meet their needs in order to come to class and learn the skills needed to earn a more permanent salary,” Sterling said. “It also exposes them to math and English, as well as the many other services of the Spanish Catholic Center. Even as times can be tough for finding a job in construction, the class still empowers each student in many different ways.”
A little more than 72 percent of all graduates this year found employment upon graduating. Another group of graduates were inspired to start their own company and are working with the Spanish Catholic Center to learn more about running a small business. And several younger students who dropped out of high school were inspired to return for the GED and even attend college.
The graduation ceremony featured a commencement speech from the Most Reverend Francisco Gonzalez S.F., Auxiliary Bishop of Washington and home cooked food prepared by staff of the Spanish Catholic Center. Though the program is held year-round, the graduation ceremony brings as many graduates together as possible for one annual celebration.
The class is just one of the many services offered by the Spanish Catholic Center and students are offered the full breadth of services – including one-on-one case management, a medical clinic, a dental clinic and other employment programs. The students often came for the construction class and stayed for the many other services.