Minorities involved in the construction industry can now learn the basics,
from fire codes to financing, reading blueprints to energy-efficient building
strategies, through a recently formed partnership between The Center to Advance
Minority Participation in the Construction Industry and the Community College
of Rhode Island.
The new construction training program is designed to target the minority community, which often lacks access to this type of information and industry training, according to John Gomes, training coordinator for the division for lifelong learning at CCRI.
“Minorities usually get left behind when it comes to new technology, especially computer technology,” he said. “There is a huge (technology) gap between the haves and the have-nots.”
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There is a building boom in South Providence, Gomes said, particularly with the renovation, restoration and reuse of so many old homes in that neighborhood. And with new technologies and computer programs to aid in the building process, it’s important for minorities to be up to date and trained to use them.
According to Stanford Cameron, chairman of The Center, lack of affordable, available training courses often prevented minorities from getting training. This is one of the goals of The Center, and after major initiatives in 2000 and 2003, the partnership renews its training effort.
Nine classes will be offered, and will run from October to January in the late afternoon to early evening. Costs range from $25 for a financial information workshop to $200 for a three-day seminar in starting a construction company.
Classes will include a license requirement overview, fire codes, building codes, an introduction to Energy Star’s energy efficient I-Smart House, an OSHA-sponsored construction safety course, blueprint reading, a course on starting a construction company, and a Small Business Administration description of loans for contractors, Gomes said.
The I-Smart House is a 3-D model that shows builders how energy-efficient systems and building practices can be incorporated into homes.
“When it comes to formal education, there is a gap, and no one (minority or not) knows the building codes,” he said. “For instance, most builders, when they build out the foundation, are doing it the same way they’ve done it for years. But now (codes require that) the foundation is supposed to be insulated from the ground up.”
The Center, located at 570 Broad St. in Providence, will hold the classes for ease of access. CCRI offers similar construction-related and other training courses at its Training and Technology Center at Quonset, but those courses are strictly tech-based and for many, it’s difficult to get there, Gomes said. But like the Quonset center, the program at The Center in Providence also aims to provide hands-on experience with the latest computer and building technology for minorities in the construction industry.
“We’re trying to educate the urban community in building technologies,” said Suzanne D’Onofrio, a training specialist coordinator at Quonset who oversees Work Force Training and Education at CCRI. “Being allowed to target a group as a whole seems to be a way to educate more people. (Cameron) wants to improve and educate the people within his organization, and this brings them all together at The Center.”
Cameron said he’d like to expand the courses and program to a full training program, and plans to offer courses next year on more new technology products and hands-on training.
“It’s useful for affordable housing, building energy-efficient homes, and in turn we need to teach the carpentry that goes with it,” he said. Participants will learn about building foundations, the building envelope (the outer wall and roof systems of the house) and the math and tools of the trade and building skills.
“This is important, especially to the unemployed and idle youth,” Cameron said. “This offers them a real opportunity for employment, with good wages and benefits, and a good career.”
Sponsors for the partnership also include the Black Contractors Association, the Minority Investment Development Corporation, the SBA and Conservation Services Group. People who would like to enroll should contact Cameron at The Center at (401) 351-7507 ext. 106; or Gomes at CCRI at (401) 825-2070.
