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Message From Our Leadership
Fall 2009
During the past decade, when an historic building and construction boom occurred, our principal challenge at Construction Skills was to develop an effective program to recruit and prepare public high school graduates, New York City Housing Authority residents and others for available training and employment opportunities. We can be proud that we successfully met this challenge, having placed 1,110 individuals into union apprenticeships!
Today, in a very different and difficult economy, our principal challenge is to assure that individuals we have placed into industry opportunities remain employed, and that we continue to bring the best new members into the building and construction trades to meet future demand for the next era of growth.
To meet this challenge, it is crucial that policies for public infrastructure improvements and private economic development – including efforts to green and retrofit existing buildings – recognize the value of contractors that invest in a trained, skilled and diverse workforce.
For our part, we at Construction Skills are moving aggressively to update our curriculum for the economy of the future, with a specific focus on green collar careers through local and national partnerships to bring innovation to workforce development in environmental sustainability.
With a continued commitment to have individuals who complete our program be the best-qualified candidates to join the building and construction trades, and with supportive policies from public officials and private developers, we can meet any of the challenges we face today and emerge as a stronger program, industry and city.
Paul E. Fernandes
President and CEO
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Louis J. Coletti
Chairman
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PETERSON REGISTRE
Journeyman
Construction and General Building Laborers Local 79
Construction Skills Class of 2001
School of Cooperative Technical Education
Resides in Brooklyn
Peterson Registre, a member of Construction and General Building Laborers Local 79, has been working in the unionized construction industry since he graduated from Construction Skills in 2001 at the age of 21.
Originally from Haiti, Peterson graduated from high school in 2000 and began looking for career opportunities in the construction industry. He wasn’t sure how to go about pursuing this career until a friend told him about The School of Cooperative Technical Education (Co-op Tech). After high school, Peterson enrolled at Co-op Tech where he took courses in building and construction work.
Read the Full Interview Here
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SANTOS RODRIGUEZ
Organizer
Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12
Construction Skills Class of 1997
Harry Van Arsdale High School
Raised in New York City Housing Authority’s Williamsburg Development
Santos Rodriguez, an Organizer for Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12, grew up in the New York City Housing Authority’s Williamsburg Development in Brooklyn. Santos began working in the unionized construction industry 11 years ago after successfully completing the Construction Skills pre-apprenticeship program (then known as Project Pathways).
Santos enrolled in Construction Skills while he was attending Harry Van Arsdale High School. He graduated in 1997 through the high school’s co-op program that worked to provide opportunities to students seeking careers in the building and construction trades. After completing the pre-apprenticeship training, Santos became an apprentice with Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12.
Read the Full Interview Here
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