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Hamilton Street Renovations to Home on Hamilton Street More than three years ago, ABC's Director of Workforce Development, Penny Hazer, and a team employed by the city of Rochester Housing Authority (RHA) were kicking around a few ideas for a construction training program for inner city residents. The team developed a comprehensive training program and strategy which they used as an application for a grant with the Federal Government. During the Spring of 2002 a grant was awarded to RHA for the program. This was a major accomplishment, and the city of Rochester would be one of only seven cities in the United States to be granted this award. The purpose of the training program is to provide Rochester City residents (minorities currently living in Rochester Housing Authority property) with a unique opportunity to participate in a construction training program which would include both "on the job" and "in classroom" training, while actually building new houses in the city of Rochester. The bottom line is to assist minorities in building careers in a very lucrative industry, and to provide the construction industry with badly needed, entry-level skilled workers. The program has eight students, who receive a stipend for their participation in the program, and must abide by some very strict regulations including attendance, punctuality, and safety. The classroom training includes instruction in the "Construction Essentials" curriculum issued by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). This curriculum includes six modules and more than 96 hours of study in construction math, blueprint reading and hand and power tools, just to name a few. The students also get training and certification in supplementary modules such as Standard First Aid/CPR, OSHA 10 hour safety, and Sexual Harassment Prevention. When the project began in September of 2002, the initial plan was to spend 6 hours each week in classroom training, and another 25 - 30 hours each week on the construction of the new house. Unforeseen events with permits, new energy specifications, etc., caused delays in the construction of the new house, but RHA was able to approve the use of the students in the renovation of a two-story, two-family residence in the city of Rochester. According to Frank Trotto (ABC's project supervisor), this ‘change of plans’ ended up being the best thing that could have happened because the students learned some important skills while renovating the two-story house, which will be invaluable during the construction of the new house. The renovation project included some very challenging work for the students, including hanging doors, installing new flooring, removing and replacing old plumbing fixtures, installing new appliances, running electrical lines for new light fixtures, hanging drywall, installing doors and basement block windows, and lots of painting. The students also gained approval from RHA to implement their ‘re-design of the kitchen and dining room area’ which involved tearing down a wall, adding new structural support, and modernizing the kitchen layout and cabinetry. At the end of the project, an RHA team performed a "walk-through" which resulted in only a few minor changes. According to RHA, the renovations performed by the team were done very well, and conformed to and in some cases, exceeded the specifications. The new tenants are very happy as well. The students have now started construction of the new house. With the help of a mason, the students have completed the basement, and will soon begin framing the house. We will continue to provide you updates on the students and the progress of the new house which is scheduled to be completed in 2005. |
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