A diverse coalition of educators, employers, governmental officials, and experts are pleased to introduce the Summer Careers Academy. Launching Summer 2022, these new trades training program will connect Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Orange County youth with skills, employers, and a compelling career pathway. The program will focus on serving the needs of youth from refugee and migrant families as well as low-income students and students of color.
“The construction industry offers exceptional career opportunities,” said Holly Fraccaro, CEO of the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange, and Chatham Counties. “This new Summer Careers Academy will connect local youth with new skills and a paid summer work experience while also building the talent pipeline our industry needs.”
The inaugural Summer Careers Academy is designed to be an eight week summer pre-apprenticeship program (i.e., Registered Youth Apprenticeship) that will offer at least ten local high school students free in-classroom training and paid work experience in the skilled trades. The training standards will be based on core construction curriculum, which prepares students for careers in the construction trades, including occupations in carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry, and HVAC-R repair.
Students who successfully complete the program will earn Construction Core high school credit and a NCCER Certificate, and an U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration Fundamentals for Construction Certificate (OSHA 10-Hour Construction Industry Certification), both of which are industry-recognized credentials.
The students will be prepared for immediate full-time employment as well as eligible for entry into a Registered Apprenticeship, which allows students to continue to earn and learn as they progress in their chosen career.
Orange County, NC has a skilled trades worker shortage, and the talent pipeline needs attention. This challenge was documented in the Skilled Construction Trades Study commissioned by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners in 2019 and conducted by The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro in 2020.
The diverse coalition that developed the Summer Careers Academy is led by a steering committee that is dedicated to building a skilled talent pipeline for the future.
The steering committee aims to deepen and broaden the Summer Careers Academy concept after the initial launch to empower more students in the skilled construction trades as well as in other trades and industries.
Tai Huynh, Town of Chapel Hill Councilmember
To learn more and stay informed on the progress of the Summer Careers Academy, visit www.SummerCareersAcademy.com.
Listen to interview with Town of Chapel Hill Councilmember, Tai Huynh who helped bring this program to life: https://chapelboro.com/news-on-the-hill-with-brighton-mcconnell/on-air-today-with-brighton-mcconnell/on-air-today-tai-huynh-on-the-summer-careers-academy
Contact: For questions, contact Katie Loovis, Vice President of External Affairs, The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro, at (919) 696-0781 (cell) or KLoovis@carolinachamber.org.
