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August 15, 2018
New York Building Foundation Grant Will Support Plan by Building Skills and Hostos to Provide OSHA-30 Construction Safety Training Courses for City Residents
Building Skills Serves as a Crucial Entry Point into the Construction Industry for Unemployed and Underemployed New Yorkers
Aug. 15, 2018 (Bronx, NY) – Funding provided by the New York Building Foundation will enable participants in Building Skills New York (BSNY) to receive additional construction safety training provided by Hostos Community College. This additional workforce training programming will help BSNY further expand its ongoing efforts to bring much-needed employment opportunities to unemployed and underemployed workers in local communities across the five boroughs.
The $10,000 grant from the Building Foundation – the charitable arm of the New York Building Congress – will fund OSHA-30 safety training for 25 New York City residents in facilities located at Hostos Community College’s Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development. This new round of training courses will begin on August 18.
BSNY helps New York City residents in underserved neighborhoods connect with jobs in the construction industry. This year, BSNY has placed New York City residents in 115 local construction projects in or near their home neighborhoods. Of these workers, 64 percent are African American and 36 percent are Hispanic or Latino. In addition, 47 percent of placements were made in the Bronx – the most placements than any other borough so far, this year. This additional programming represents an important piece of BSNY’s mission to provide a pipeline of good-paying jobs to local-residents of diverse backgrounds and communities to ensure a viable career path.
“Building Skills New York is committed to connecting City residents with construction jobs and helping them find the training and support services to turn such employment into a meaningful, well-paid career. We are honored to collaborate with Building Foundation and Hostos Community College to train and connect workers with good-paying jobs in local construction sites,” said David Meade, Executive Director of Building Skills New York. “This new programming will provide New York City residents with access to expanded career opportunities and equip workers with the necessary tools to practice safe and secure protocol in the workplace.”
“For the past 50 years, Hostos Community College has prided itself on improving the lives of its students through dynamic educational offerings that also answer the community’s call,” said Dr. David Gómez, Hostos Community College President. “Whether their success is achieved by way of credit-bearing courses, job training or other continuing educational programs, our goal is to consistently provide the best services to ensure our students are prepared for whatever field they pursue. We are confident this partnership will accomplish that objective.”
“The Building Foundation is proud to support the efforts of Building Skills New York and Hostos Community College, and we applaud these organizations for their commitment to training New Yorkers for good paying jobs in construction,” said Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., President of The New York Building Foundation. “As the building industry continues to flourish and our city’s infrastructure and development needs grow, it is critical that we invest in the local workforce and help communities thrive.”
“The Bronx’s double digit unemployment rate has been reduced to its current single digit historically low. We have done what is need to provide our people with opportunities to work,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “This safety training program will help prepare Bronx residents for good construction jobs with a living wage, and I congratulate Hostos Community College and the New York Building Foundation on this important partnership.”
“I applaud Hostos Community College and the New York Building Foundation for funding and implementing this initiative,” said Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. “Helping New Yorkers get the training they need to stay employed or seek employment while keeping them safe on the job is critical for countless workers in my community.”
The program at Hostos offers fully covered OSHA-30 certification training, which provides extensive safety training on the safety and health hazards on construction sites. BSNY will work closely with the candidates, employers, and Hostos Community College to ensure successful completion of the program.
The new program will bolster the partnership between BSNY and the Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Hostos Community College, a key driver in providing skills training modules with highly qualified instructors. BSNY serves as an entry point into the construction field and real estate industry for unemployed and underemployed workers as well as individuals without pre-existing relationships with contractors.
About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities for a half-century. Since 1968, Hostos has been a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs.
Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.
About Building Skills New York
Building Skills New York provides an efficient and convenient process for finding a construction job for many City residents who have long been unable to gain access to careers in the construction industry. The organization achieves its goals through a well-designed and targeted program that places underemployed and underserved New Yorkers in construction industry jobs. BSNY transforms lives and helps residents revitalize communities by growing a skilled construction workforce that represents the diversity of New York City. BSNY partners with the city’s leading workforce agencies to recruit and screen eligible NYC residents and provide them with the necessary skills and safety training.
About the New York Building Foundation
The New York Building Foundation, the charitable arm of the New York Building Congress, was founded by a group of dedicated professionals to improve and better coordinate the building community’s approach to promoting the New York City construction industry. Over its 20-year history, the Building Foundation’s activities have included grants and scholarships for educational programs aimed at developing an interest in the industry among K-12 and college students; support for training organizations that assist adults from various backgrounds with joining the trades; programs to encourage clean, safe worksites; and research on issues impacting both the building industry and the city’s economic future. The Foundation strives to maximize talents, relationships, and partnerships to broaden its reach and strengthen its influence to bolster New York City’s built environment, encourage the development of the next generation of the industry’s workforce, and enhance the diverse communities that make up the city.
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