For more information on the New Skill Builders (TRADES) Program, or to apply for the February 2007 session, please contact Linda Hannah at (773) 548-8601.Information is also available on the web at www.newskillbuilders.org.

On Thursday, January 26, 2006, the New Skill Builders graduated its first class of individuals now prepared to enter skilled trade and construction-related apprenticeship programs. With the US construction industry projected to add nearly 400,000 jobs by the year 2010, program participants couldn't have found a better time to obtain these growth-industry skills.

To demonstrate the skills they had compiled during the course of the program, the 22 graduates also completed a class project - construction of a fully finished tool shed sized structure. The structure will either become part of the New Skill Builders facility on South State Street, or it will be taken apart by the next class of participants as part of a program exercise. In addition to getting the all-important first project under their belts, graduates also earned their 10-Hour OSHA Card, a safety certification required by many employers.

"The program equips individuals with the skills to successfully take the exams and enter apprenticeships in the trades," explained program director Linda Hannah. "It is the first step in the process towards a career that requires patience and precision, and I am very proud of the 22 students that completed our program and are now on their way."

Students prepare for tests in geometry, algebra, mechanical reasoning and spatial relations. Basic construction skills are introduced and reinforced, along with job-readiness skills such as interviewing, resume preparation, time management and goal setting. The program even requires students to learn about aerobic conditioning and nutrition, to help keep their bodies healthy in jobs that can be far more physically demanding than the average desk job.

"Programs that help city residents obtain skills in growth industries are the types of projects we're focusing our efforts on," said MOWD Commissioner David Hanson. "The growth and development of our neighborhoods depends largely on the folks that are doing the building. We're very pleased to do our part for men and women that want to enter the construction trades."

This is the first class to graduate from the apprenticeship preparation program since Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley moved the Skill Builders program under the direction of the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (MOWD) in 2005. For information on the full range of programs and services provided by the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development and Mayor Daley's WorkNet Chicago, please call (312) 746-7777 (Illinois Relay 711 for Deaf or speech impaired communications), or visit us on the web, www.cityofchicago.org/mowd.