If a young person makes mistakes early in life—gets caught up in the wrong crowd, hustles for money, breaks the law—second chances will not be easy to come by. A criminal record can all but eliminate most avenues to family-sustaining
When nonprofit YouthBuild Boston sought a more accessible teaching space for its building trades training, Roxbury Community College (RCC) saw an opportunity to expand its offerings to the community. Last year, the two organizations launched their collaborative solution: the Boston Trades Assessment Center.
Next City disseminates nonprofit journalism on municipal best practices in social, economic, and environmental change. On June 28, the organization highlighted two Boston programs – the Greater Boston American Apprenticeship Initiative and Mayor Martin Walsh’s youth re-entry initiative, Operation Exit – as successful examples of
Returning to civilian life after six years in the army, Edward Morgan, 27, found himself adrift in his native Dorchester. “I did random jobs. I was a driver, a chef. They didn’t last too long. I found myself getting in
In October of last year, Mayor Martin Walsh announced the creation of the Greater Boston American Apprenticeship Initiative (GBAAI) – a comprehensive apprenticeship program designed to prepare residents for careers in the fast-growing hospitality and construction industries. “We want to provide a pipeline to better-paying jobs with benefits,”
When the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD) released a labor market study last March, the findings showed how much work was needed to address the city’s economic disparities: The average Boston resident, the report found, makes just over $35,000 a year, an income that barely covers expenses for many
When Abdul Barrie founded his own HVAC company, Environmental Systems Engineering, in 2002, he was eager to start drumming up business. “I wanted to be hired because I was capable, not because I was a minority,” remembers Barrie, who is
At its ribbon-cutting last fall, the Uphams Crossing residential complex was hailed for transforming the site of the long-shuttered St. Kevin’s School into 80 units of much-needed affordable housing. But the success of the St. Kevin’s redevelopment extends well beyond
A new, wide-reaching apprenticeship program has launched this fall thanks to a $3 million federal American Apprenticeship grant. The grant proposal was spearheaded by the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD) and secured with the help of its program partners.