{"id":2745,"date":"2020-09-09T15:53:34","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T19:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/?p=2745"},"modified":"2023-08-03T16:10:56","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T20:10:56","slug":"york-region-business-with-a-heart-trains-builders-and-builds-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/york-region-business-with-a-heart-trains-builders-and-builds-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"York Region ‘business with a heart’ trains builders \u2014 and builds lives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

August 31, 2020 by Kim Zarzour<\/a><\/p>\n

Article Here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue Door’s new construction training program combats homelessness<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s an old saying: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a life.<\/p>\n

A new initiative in York Region is putting that philosophy to work \u2014 construction work, to be exact.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s called \u201cconstruction with a purpose\u201d and it aims to teach not fishing, but skilled trades, as way out of homelessness and poverty.<\/p>\n

Called ‘Construct’, this innovative employment social enterprise provides training, experience and support to help vulnerable people find long-term, well-paying careers in the construction trades.<\/p>\n

The project is managed by Blue Door, a York Region non-profit that provides housing and support services.<\/p>\n

CEO Michael Braithwaite says it\u2019s a solution to two intersecting challenges: a growing demand for skilled employees in the construction industry, and a need for better-paying jobs for low-income individuals to help them pay for housing.<\/p>\n

Statistics show you need to earn $24 an hour to be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment in York Region.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Braithwaite says, 62 per cent of contractors in Ontario experienced a shortage of skilled workers in the last year.<\/p>\n

Construct is an eight-week program in which cohorts of eight spend two weeks training at the new centre operated by LiUNA Local 506, at Major Mackenzie Drive and Hwy. 404.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The first session gets underway Sept. 10. Organizers are looking for motivated young people who are able to work in Canada, have Gr. 10 education, and are keen to make a change.<\/p>\n

They will be connected to employment opportunities with new expertise in general labour, site cleanup, energy retrofits, painting, landscape and snow removal.<\/p>\n

Merissa Preston, manager of partnership and business development with LiUNA, tells of one young father who took part in a similar program \u2014 Building Up<\/a> \u2014 in Toronto several years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was really struggling to support his family, and now he is working on the Eglinton LRT and he\u2019s en route to (becoming) a journey person.\u201d<\/p>\n

As part of their training, participants learn skills with tools and work on projects for Blue Door, <\/a>such as benches, picnic tables and installation of the shelter\u2019s basketball nets, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis way they feel they are giving back and their skills are put to work on something useful.\u201d<\/p>\n

After two weeks of training in Richmond Hill, participants complete a six-week practicum in real construction jobs where they can apply what they learned.<\/p>\n

Braithwaite hopes to see 70 per cent of participants go on to apprenticeship, and 80 per cent find sustainable employment.<\/p>\n

Eventually, Braithwaite says, Construct<\/a> will be more than a “business with a heart,” but a full-scale, for-profit contractor providing residential and commercial construction and property services, at the same time funnelling funds into Blue Door programs and lifting people out of poverty.<\/p>\n

YMCA will provide wraparound supports throughout the program with additional support for 12 months afterwards including health and wellness check-ins, resume writing, and other life skills where needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want the eight weeks to go by and we wash our hands and call it a day,\u201d says Rudi Genovese, senior manager, social enterprise. \u201cWe want to help them back on their feet, but, more importantly, to stay on their feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

“This program allows our YMCA to work toward our vision of helping everyone to shine and grow within their communities,” adds Ian Nyman general manager, York Region Employment.<\/p>\n

For more information, visit www.constructgta.ca.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

August 31, 2020 by Kim Zarzour Article Here Blue Door’s new construction training program combats homelessness There\u2019s an old saying: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a life. A new initiative in York Region is putting that philosophy to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9,16,17,14,18],"class_list":["post-2745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-community","tag-lgbtq2s","tag-south-simcoe","tag-support","tag-supportive-housing"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t