Thirty-year-old Emanuel Medina has long had an interest in pursuing a career in the higher income earning construction trades. He applied several times and tested for apprenticeships but was unsuccessful in gaining entry into the industry, until now.
Thanks to South Suburban College’s Highway Construction Careers Training Program, a free program that seeks to increase representation of minorities, women and disadvantaged individuals in Illinois highway construction, he has been accepted into an electricians apprenticeship and starts Tuesday.
South Suburban College’s intensive short-term, pre-apprenticeship training program positioned him with knowledge and certifications to better compete, which helped him land the apprenticeship, Medina said.
The program, which is recruiting for classes that begin in March, covers a rigorous 450-hour curriculum, and students earn while they learn, said program manager Rebecca Garcia. If students were required to pay for the program, the cost would be on average $10,000 per student, she said.
“The goal of the program is to introduce them to what the trades are. They learn about the different entrance requirements,” said Garcia.
Students are introduced to 24 trades and get training in mathematics for the trades, job site readiness, concrete flatwork, blueprint reading orientation, first aid/AED/CPR, introduction to tools and forklift operation, said Garcia. They receive between seven and 10 certificates including Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Safety Council certification and certificates in introductory welding. They also attend classes on time management, resume building and participate in mock interviews, Garcia said.
Students are paid a stipend of $10 per hour for each full hour of training completed and supplied with personal protection equipment, including hard hats and vouchers to purchase boots. They also receive basic hand tools, she said.
The program is supported through a collaboration with the Illinois Department of Transportation. It is much needed given statistics from a May 2023 U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission report that show in 2022:
• Black workers made up only 6.7% of the construction industry workforce even though they were 12.6% of the U.S. labor force.
• Asians were just 2.1% of the construction industry although they make up 6.7% of the overall labor force.
• Women make up less than 11% of the construction workforce compared to 47% of the total workforce.
In addition, Hispanics, who are overrepresented in the industry compared to their share of the labor force, are underrepresented in higher paid trades. In 2022, Hispanic workers comprised more than a third of the construction workforce, but nearly half were in lower-paying helpers positions, according to the commission report. Hispanic workers made up less than a quarter of electricians, which are among the highest paying jobs in the industry, the report noted.
The South Suburban College program marks its 10th year this year and has graduated 387 participants, said Garcia, who has been with the program since its inception. More than 200 have been placed in internships. Among the last six classes, three have achieved 100% placement into union apprenticeship programs with various trades including IBEW Local 134, Pipefitters Local 597, laborers and carpenters, she said.
There is a competitive application process. Applicants are required to pre-register, be at least 18, have a high school diploma or GED and a valid driver’s license and demonstrate an interest in trade work. They’re also required to attend mandatory orientation followed by an assessment test, go through an interview, and pass physical agility and drug screening tests, Garcia said.
Medina, who previously worked in retail, has been accepted in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 134 Communications Apprenticeship, he said.
“I did a lot of retail work,” he said. “I worked at a shoe store in River Oaks mall. I was looking for a career change. I feel I work better with my hands. There’s job security in the trades.”
He learned about the construction training program through friends in the industry.
“I thought it would help further my opportunity into the trades,” he said.
Lynwood resident Donald Elmore III, 38, completed the program last October and expects to start an apprenticeship this spring. He previously worked at Amazon.
“I just wanted a better future for my kids and myself, so my thing was if I get this training, I’ve got an opportunity to make a lot more money,” he said. “That was really my motivation right there.
“This program is very important. It prepares you. You can come in and not have any knowledge of any trade. You will leave with so much knowledge.”
There are 12 such programs at community colleges throughout the state, and South Suburban College offers the only one in the south suburbs, Garcia said. The college offers the program three to four times during the year. It aligns with the college’s mission, which is “to serve our students and our community through lifelong learning,” Garcia said.
“Community colleges aren’t just for your typical students that are taking credit courses to transfer to a four-year university,” she said. “They’re designed to help people with short-term career goals and construction is one of those, getting into an apprenticeship, that’s one of those goals.”
She said the program has had big benefits for students.
“This is life changing, getting into an apprenticeship,” she said. “These are careers with high earnings potential. I’ve seen students come in that were working three jobs and now they are able to work one because they’re making $50 an hour, union wages, plus benefits, pensions.”
She said students have come back and shared how they’ve been able to put their kids through school or seen their children go into the trades. Some have completed the program and their siblings and cousins have followed in their footsteps.
“We’ve had several parents that have come through the program, and now their kids have come through and vice versa,” Garcia said.
Registration for the next training is open. Orientation and testing for the next class is at 9 a.m. on Feb. 27-29 at the Oak Forest Center of South Suburban College, 16333 S. Kilbourn, Oak Forest. Classes begin March 25 and will be held 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information, contact Garcia at 708-225-6004 or email hcctp@ssc.edu. To register, go to www.ssc.edu/hcctp, or visit the Oak Forest Center.
Francine Knowles is a freelance columnist for the Daily Southtown.
