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Skill Builders |
Our Mission
Skill Builders' mission is to increase the number of Chicago residents in the building and construction trades by providing residents with the training, mentoring and support they need to obtain employment as an apprentice in the trade of their choice.
Mayor Daley's Skill Builders is a new program created to serve two very important functions:
- to help Chicago residents enter the construction trades; and
- to provide contractors with a reliable source for city resident journeymen, apprentices and laborers
The Skill Builders Program
- Designed to increase the number of Chicagoans who begin solid careers in the construction field, the Skill Builders training program:
- prepares participants for taking apprenticeship tests;
- provides participants with up-to-date information on apprenticeship requirements and openings;
- presents critical construction work related topics in the classroom; and
- offers counseling on the trades for which participants are best suited;
Skill Builders participants attend a 14-week program; Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., each week. Classes are held at various City Colleges of Chicago facilities.
Participants receive a stipend of $100 for each week of perfect, on-time attendance. The stipend is paid at the end of the program.
Classes are taught by qualified instructors who provide practical and useful information, as well as mentoring. Guest speakers visit the class to present an array of topics, and class trips to construction sites and apprenticeship programs also are provided to increase students' understanding of the various trades.
The curriculum for the program was developed by a team of experts, including:
- Union apprenticeship coordinators;
- Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council;
- Mayor's Office of Workforce Development; and
- City Colleges of Chicago
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