Syracuse Build Pathways to Apprenticeship Seeks Applicants for Training Program

Applications Open Jan. 7 for Third Cohort of that Program Helps Prepare City Residents for Careers in Construction Field

City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, CenterState CEO and Central & Northern New York Building Trades Council Partnered to host program

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, CenterState CEO and other community partners are seeking applications from city residents for the third cohort of Syracuse Build’s Pathways to Apprenticeship program. Applications will be accepted from Jan. 7 to Feb. 24. Thirty city of Syracuse residents have graduated from the paid 11-week program to date. The comprehensive apprenticeship readiness training program focuses on preparing women, people of color and veterans to help them gain access to the Building Trades’ registered apprenticeship programs.

“We are excited to continue the successful Pathways to Apprenticeship program,” said Chris Montgomery, director, Syracuse Build. “We have seen incredible interest from the community in this program and know that participants are becoming better prepared for well-paying careers. The success we have seen is the direct result of partners who have been engaged and focused on ensuring this program achieves its goals for both individuals and employers.”

“We are looking forward to welcoming a new cohort into this program and continuing to grow the community of successful graduates that will go out into this community and find success in a variety of construction related careers,” said Ebony Farrow, Pathways to Apprenticeship program manager at CenterState CEO. “The significant interest we have seen in this program shows that there is high-quality talent that exists in this community and when we can connect them to the right training and resources they can be prepared for any opportunity."

All graduates are now in the process of applying to apprenticeship programs or jobs in the construction field.  Throughout the Pathways to Apprenticeship program participants have gained physical and technical skills needed to be competitive and successfully apply to a registered union apprenticeship. Entering a union-sponsored registered apprenticeship can be highly competitive; throughout the program, participants received exclusive networking opportunities with local trade unions and coaching and preparation for the registered apprenticeship application process.

Syracuse Build is a community initiative launched by Mayor Walsh to support local construction activity by connecting job seekers from Syracuse’s historically marginalized communities with career pathways in construction related fields. Syracuse Build’s goal is to align local government, unions, anchor institutions, and construction firms in a coordinated network of community, training and workforce partners. Work Train at CenterState CEO serves as an intermediary, bringing resources and partners to develop both the Syracuse Build initiative and the Pathways to Apprenticeship program.

Funding for the Pathways program comes from a number of community partners recognizing the need to prepare the local workforce, including the City of Syracuse, Greater Syracuse HOPE, Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative, North America’s Building Trade Unions, Central New York Community Foundation, United Way of Central New York, NYS Department of Labor and the Alliance for Economic Inclusion.

“The demand for this type of training remains strong because it is successful and provides participants with the skills, resources and support they need to meet any opportunity that comes,” said Dominic Robinson, vice president of Economic Inclusion at CenterState CEO. “As we have seen through the advancement of the first two cohorts of this program, the graduates of this program are in high-demand and can quickly advance to the next stages of their training. We look forward to continuing to connect people from diverse backgrounds to these opportunities and expand the impact of the program.” 

Information sessions for applicants to the Pathways to Apprenticeship program will be held virtually on Tues. and Thurs. Jan. 11 through the Feb. 24.  Candidates will be notified April 15 if they are accepted to the program and will begin May 2.

Applications can be found here. Acceptance into the Pathways program is competitive. To meet the minimum requirements, applicants must:

●        Be 18 years or older;

●        Live in the City of Syracuse;

●        Desire a career in construction;

●        Be authorized to work in the United States;

●        Have a high school diploma or equivalent;

●        Read, write, and to speak in English for training and safety purposes; and

●        Be physically capable to do construction work.

About Syracuse Build

Syracuse Build is a mayoral initiative designed to support Syracuse’s construction industry by connecting capable job seekers from Syracuse’s historically marginalized communities with career pathways in construction related fields.  The primary purpose of the initiative is to increase the number of low-income Syracuse residents -- particularly people of color and women -- working on public construction projects and successfully entering/advancing in union apprenticeship.  Syracuse Build aligns local government, anchor institutions, union apprenticeship programs and construction firms into a coordinated network of community, training and workforce partners. Syracuse Build is led by a steering committee and managed and staffed by CNY Works. CenterState CEO/Work Train serves as the intermediary to align these partners, provide some of the funding, and develop a strong pipeline of workers for these opportunities.

About Central & Northern New York Building Trades (CNNYBT)

CNNYBTC represents approximately 5,000 construction workers and 17 member unions that are highly skilled in a wide array of crafts. These men and women are an intricate part of New York’s workforce, our region’s economy, and future economic prosperity. Since 1958, the CNNYBTC has been in existence in NY to bring the needs of unions from all building-related trades together in an effort to protect the welfare of workers and learn from one another. Together, we’ve been able to have a voice in the State Legislature, fighting for local jobs, fair wages, funding for major infrastructure projects and more. We continue to fight for our members and their families every day, which is evident in our apprenticeship programs. We have 150,000 square feet of training facilities. Annually, we spend over $7.5 million on training. Over the last ten years, we have graduated over 1,735 students. We continue working every day to establish apprenticeship training at the state level. These programs allow us to continue great traditions of quality work into today’s industry and improve construction across New York State.

About CenterState CEO

CenterState CEO is an independent and forward-thinking economic development strategist, business leadership organization and chamber of commerce; dedicated to the success of its members and the prosperity of the region. We serve as an advocate and resource for smart business, catalyze and facilitate regional growth, and promote community prosperity through results-driven partnerships, planning and problem-solving.www.centerstateceo.com