BUILD to graduate 36 apprentices for Atlantic Yards

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BUILD to graduate 36 apprentices for Atlantic Yards

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Capt. Planet
Life is for the living, so let's get it on!
Joined: Jan '06
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Attend the graduation ceremony today at noon, St. Teresa of Avila RC Church at Sterling Place and Classon.

BUILD, Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development, was one of the signatories to the Forest City Ratner Community Benefit Agreement.

The CBA obligated FCR to support BUILD in its effort to recruit and train local residents for work in construction of the Atlantic Yards project.

According to a presentation made at last night's CB 8 Economic Development Committee meeting by BUILD ED James Caldwell, in May 2009, BUILD sent 4,000 letters to individuals on it's waiting list of 10,000 for apprenticeship programs.

BUILD received 1,200 individual responses. Of these 350 passed the initial requirements (GED, drug-free). Personal interviews reduced this number to 37.

Of this number, 36 are set to graduate today after six months of training in carpentry, masonry, plumbing and electrical trades. Of this number, 11 are from Councilmember James district, 7 from Councilmember Vann's district and 2 are women.

FRC has committed to place all of the graduates in jobs controlled by them, including the NY Times building, the new Beekman tower in lower Manhattan, Atlantic Yards or other FCR projects, according to Caldwell.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
whynot_31
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Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,048

Congrats to the lucky and hard working 36.

....In addition to forcing FCR to follow the CBA, I would like the city to expand their own programs such as those at City Tech.

http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/

...not everyone needs a BA or BS.
http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/academics/continuinged/pdf/Current_CSC.pdf

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
Capt. Planet
Life is for the living, so let's get it on!
Joined: Jan '06
Posts: 930

The City has not given a dime to BUILD. Their request for a small amount of funding from the City was met with so many onerous requirements, BUILD decided not to waste the time applying.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
whynot_31
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Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,048

yes, lots of people won't do business with the city or MTA as a result of such hassles. (or they will do business, but include the time and effort of complying with the city's rules and headaches in their bids ...inflating the cost we pay for services)

The inferences that can be made from this:

BUILD received 1,200 individual responses. Of these 350 passed the initial requirements (GED, drug-free). Personal interviews reduced this number to 37.

are kinda interesting.

850 of the 1200 (70%) applicants either did not have a GED or weren't drug free? ....yet they had their act together enough to know about the program and apply?

How many people is FCR required to train under the CBA?

....was the group whittled down to 37 because that was how many they were required to train and hire?

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
Capt. Planet
Life is for the living, so let's get it on!
Joined: Jan '06
Posts: 930

Actually BUILD was only committed to training 30 in the first round of the program. They had expected to lose 7 along the way, but in fact only lost 1.

The loss of 850 applicants is not unusual in my experience in doing public lotteries. When I was a non-profit developer of subsidized housing we would get 1,000's of applications for the lottery, as many as 90% proved ineligible or simply never responded to subsequent contacts.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
whynot_31
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Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,048

I suspect in both cases (jobs and housing) the applications may have been created by well meaning social service types, on behalf of people who may not be genuinely ready to "win".

I'm not a big fan of application fees for programs that serve the unemployed, because I want them to take advantage of every opportunity possible (hell, like Bloomberg, I'm willing to pay THEM to better their own lives).

....I imagine a job at a FCR site, even as an apprentice, pays around $18 an hour?

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
Capt. Planet
Life is for the living, so let's get it on!
Joined: Jan '06
Posts: 930

There were NO application fees involved in any of the applications I've discussed.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
Capt. Planet
Life is for the living, so let's get it on!
Joined: Jan '06
Posts: 930

I'm at the award ceremony now at St Teresa RC Church. James Caldwell just said that Bruce Ratner is "an angel sent from God".
Should we put this on the church and morality thread?

# Posted 2 yrs ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,048

I wonder how much the vetting process costs.

I know that affordable housing developers have to create and submit a similar plan to DHCR that describes the application, lottery and selection process they will engage in.

Clearly, BUILD had to document its efforts as well.

....at some point, the "fair selection process" becomes as hard as actually training folks in construction. I doubt we are at that point, but I'd hate for BUILD to only train 30 people when it could have trained 50 people if it had saved time and money by somehow pre-weeding out those who weren't genuinely motivated, interested and qualified.

It can't be cheap to try to reach 850 people, and have to document your efforts.

...I suspect that folks who fill out applications for people not genuinely interested mean well, but may be doing more harm than good.

Any idea what those apprentices will soon make?

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
Capt. Planet
Life is for the living, so let's get it on!
Joined: Jan '06
Posts: 930

It's no doubt very expensive. Anybody thought to ask Daniel Goldstein for a contribution from his million dollar settlement?

# Posted 2 yrs ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,048

Capt » I'm at the award ceremony now at St Teresa RC Church. James Caldwell just said that Bruce Ratner is "an angel sent from God".
Should we put this on the church and morality thread?

Nah, that thread is in a nice place at the moment.

...we will mess it up when the crazy fake nun family appears again.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 2 yrs ago

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