CUED

Construction Training Report for the South Suburban Communities of the City of Harvey
and Villages of Dixmoor, Ford Heights, Phoenix and Robbins

For this project, the decision was made to focus on development of a residential construction program, since conversations with the mayors of the five municipalities regarding their priorities for the construction training program showed their desire to connect the program to improvements in the local housing stock. Some of the mayors also mentioned that there was a lack of qualified residents to refer to contractors doing work in their community.

The objective was to develop a construction training program with a direct connection to jobs that would provide residents with a stepping stone to continued skills upgrading at the same time that they were acquiring life skills and the community's housing stock was being upgraded. The program has to be accessible to residents in terms of both location and entry. In addition, the program has to have the possibility of being implemented within the next year and have a defined funding source or a reasonable certainty of funding. If possible, the program should build on existing local resources such as local institutions and organizations.

For the Chicago area, with its high rate of unionization, the union route remains an important community focus for construction training. The union card denotes a certain standard of training and is the route to the highest wages and benefits. But the barriers to entry for the residents of the TAPP communities are formidable -- training programs are located far from the communities, openings are sporadic and under the control of the union, a GED or high school diploma is required, and entrance tests are difficult for those lacking math skills. Also, entry into a building trades apprenticeship program and thus construction employment has always depended heavily on who you know; a person got a job through a father, uncle, or brother and this led to a union card and training. Historically, this method of employment has restricted the entry of minorities and women into the building trades.

In addition to these barriers, current building in the TAPP communities is largely done with non-union labor. The municipalities have expressed concern that use of union labor would cause the price of new housing to rise, making it unaffordable to residents. Thus, to get union jobs, apprentices would have to go out of their communities and work on housing construction in other communities.

A survey of small contractors was done in conjunction with the Chicago Urban League to shed further light on the hiring needs and practices of contractors. The results of the survey showed that a training program should assist participants with basic skills prior to entry, emphasize job-retention skills such as attendance, and provide some work experience.

Also, a survey of potential participants was conducted by distributing surveys to a number of local organizations such as municipal and other government offices and community organizations. The survey provided valuable data in developing a potential trainee profile for the construction training program. As determined by the survey, the hypothetical construction program trainee is male, 27-35 years of age with a high school diploma or GED, and unemployed. The trainee would prefer a full-time, weekday training schedule and would be willing to improve his basic skills in math and reading if necessary. The trainee has children but would not require child care in order to attend the training program. Transportation assistance would be needed, however. The trainee is most interested in a Building Rehab/Maintenance curriculum.

The above investigation showed that there may be more than one type of training program that could meet the needs of the TAPP communities. For instance, there is federal funding available for the YouthBuild program, and one local organization has applied for this. There are also possibilities for development of a public housing program similar to the Chicago Housing Authority's Step Up program. Further, the communities may wish to negotiate with the unions for an apprenticeship facility to be located in greater proximity to the south suburbs.

At the present time, UICUED is recommending that the Building Rehab Program offered by South Suburban College in South Holland be implemented for residents of the five municipalities because it best meets the stated objectives. This program was the basis for a proposal to the President's Office of Employment Training (POET) and has been funded as the Sequenced Construction Trades Training Program in Building Rehab for 1994-95. It will train about 20 participants with three months of hands-on training, approximately 20 hours per week, at the construction facility at South Suburban College (SSC); support services of transportation and child care will be provided as necessary. Employment Associates Group (EAG), a POET sub-contractor, will provide additional services of job-related skills and counseling. Students will then be placed in paid limited internships at participating local construction companies. Successful graduates will be retained for a period of one year by the same contractors.

We also feel that two projects proposed to Cook County for Community Development Block Grant funding, the Local General Contractor Training Program proposed by New Cities Community Development Corporation and the Residential Rehabilitation Program proposed by Financial Properties, Inc., have merit and could connect well with the recommended training program. We recommend that these programs be considered for funding.

Finally, we recommend that a Construction Training Advisory Committee be established consisting of a number of local actors from the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Its purpose would be to provide input as the South Suburban program is being implemented, to better link the program to local development efforts, and to serve as a place where future construction training options for the TAPP communities can be evaluated.

This website is maintained by Cedric Williams, Manager System Services,
UIC-Center for Urban Economic Development