This fall, the Brothers’ Keeper and Bridging Outstanding Opportunities with Tradeswoman Skills (BOOTS) program pre-apprenticeship program launched in Portland, Oregon. The program is designed for individuals with little or no construction experience and introduces a stable Union trade career to a myriad of demographics including, but not limited to, formerly incarcerated or homeless individuals. The program kicked-off on September 14th and ran for four weeks at no cost to participants. Instruction included soft skills and hands-on basic construction training in general carpentry, framing, and interior systems, among other skills. Local elected officials including Oregon State Senators Lew Fredrick and James Manning, Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson, State Treasurer Tobias Read, and Oregon State Representatives Mark Gamba, Courtney Neron, and Jules Walters, visited the classes and met the participants. The pilot program concluded with a 70% completion rate and an outstanding 100% job placement rate for those who graduated.
The pre-apprenticeship training program made its way north, giving more people the opportunity to start their Union carpentry careers.