Cleveland Builds Achieves First-Year Success Through Strong Industry-Wide Partnerships

Cleveland Builds recently completed its fifth Union Construction Apprenticeship-Readiness Program class. Fourteen participants successfully completed the class, which took a different approach from previous classes. “We wanted to get participants through the class as quickly as possible – so they could begin working sooner – without sacrificing the quality of the training and vetting of candidates we do,” said Cleveland Builds’ executive director, Keith Laschinger.

Director of training & placement, AC Fenderson, achieved this quality and efficiency with a five-day, 9 am to 2 pm, program (previous classes met evenings for 2.5 hours per session) that included field work in partnership with the Cement Masons at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds and a site visit to Power Construction’s Artisan project in University Circle. “Both were great experiences for the participants on very hot days. There are going to be days like that in the field so we educate our pre-apprentices on how to safely handle different weather conditions. During this class, we got to see how they handled that challenge,” said Fenderson.

As of July 5th, nearly all of the pre-apprentices have been placed within the industry and are working - or will soon be working - as carpenters, cement masons, iron workers, and laborers. Two participants are preparing to begin the application process with the electrical workers.

This cohort is the fourth to complete the program during 2022 and the fifth since August 2021. Cleveland Builds will soon place its 50th apprentice and more than 40 program graduates are continuing to work or will soon be working in the building trades. Cleveland Builds’ alumni can be found working as apprentices with the trades already mentioned as well as with the operating engineers, painters and allied trades, plumbers, and roofers.

“We are proud of the results we’ve achieved in our first full year of operations and appreciate all the contractors and unions that have actively supported our work. I am confident that these partnerships will grow stronger and our results will improve this coming year and for years to come,” said CEA’s chief executive officer and the co-chair of the Cleveland Builds’ board, Tim Linville.