PHILADELPHIA, PA — Graduates of the Samuel Staten Sr. Pre-Apprenticeship Program (SSSPAP) received new work boots this week from Everybody Builds Philadelphia, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting diversity and opportunity in the region’s construction and development industries.
The gift follows the August graduation of 69 participants from the SSSPAP, one of the region’s leading pre-apprenticeship programs focused on preparing residents from underserved communities for skilled trades and union careers.
“Everybody Builds is one of our major partners,” said Omar Nelson, SSSPAP Executive Director. “We meet several times a month to collaborate on opportunities that support diverse recruitment, retention, and success for our participants and community residents. I love strategizing with them.”
Dorothy Smith, workforce programming manager for Everybody Builds Philadelphia, and Dornell Tarullo Burrell, industry representative, presented the boots to graduates who have since entered union apprenticeships or secured employment in the trades.
Among the recipients was Johnathan Hernandez, now an apprentice with Local 19 Sheet Metal Workers Union, who credited the program for opening doors. “This program helped me a lot,” he said. “It showed me other trades and opened opportunities for me. I’m forever grateful.”
Nadira Keys, another Local 19 apprentice, said the program was pivotal in her career journey. “I probably wouldn’t have been able to get into the union if it wasn’t for this program,” Keys said. “As a young woman, I thought I wasn’t going to make it until I came here.”
Tyler Glenn, now an apprentice with Local 252 Glaziers Union, echoed the sentiment. “The Samuel Staten Sr. Pre-Apprenticeship Program, honestly, is the only reason I got accepted into the union,” he said. “This program was very useful. I’m glad I came.”
Smith said Everybody Builds plans to continue supporting graduates as they advance in their careers. “We really support their mission and all the great work they’re doing,” she said. “When we heard so many graduates had landed apprenticeships, we wanted to show support.”
Sam Staten Jr., Chair of the SSSPAP Board of Directors, praised the collaboration, emphasizing the critical role of such partnerships in rebuilding the skilled trades pipeline. “There are over one million skilled trades jobs nationwide that are unfilled,” Staten said. “These positions can provide family-sustaining careers to people in underserved communities, but they need preparation and training. Elected officials and the business community need to pay more attention to this pressing issue.”
The Samuel Staten Sr. Pre-Apprenticeship Program offers 18 weeks of free classroom training to Pennsylvania residents 18 and older, equipping them for entry into union apprenticeships and trade careers. For more information, call 215-971-2960.
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