For the past six weeks, class
members worked on hands-on deconstruction projects for Heartland Habitat for
Humanity and learned materials repair and re-use by working in the Habitat’s
Wyandotte County ReStore.
“Through funding provided by EnergyWorks KC, these
individuals have received six weeks of intense technical training designed to
get them on the fast track to employment or business start-up in growing green
sectors of the local economy,” said Brennan Crawford, Construction Green-Up
Program coordinator.
As a result, 11 graduates will
receive multiple certifications including Lead RRP, OSHA 30 and Forklift in
ceremonies Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in Room 2325 of the Jewell Center
on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue.
The graduates are Jesse Alvarado,
Jeff Daily, Larry Dean, Alvin Gilreath, Clifford Harris, Jodi Hatcher, Ahmad
Rhaeem Neal, Joshua Isaiah Nelson, Calvin Reese, Emil Simon and Duane Jerome
Smith Sr.
Smith said several of the members of
the class are working together on a commercial demolition job.
“A few of us are
already on jobs together,” said Smith,
“This program helped lay the ground
work for me to build my own company,” said Gilreath. “The OSHA courses in
particular helped me to understand the full range of the field. The OSHA and
RRP lead safety have already put me in a position to write a safety plan for my
brother’s contracting company, where I’ll be working after graduation.”
Graduates were unanimous in the need
for such training.
“We’ll have landfills in all are backyards if we don’t watch
where all this waste is going,” said Alvarado.
“We’re running out of places to put
waste,” agreed Dean. “With deconstruction, we can start using these materials
that we’re throwing away. I remodel houses and do some commercial contracting
from time to time and in today’s society, these certificates are mandatory. The
OHSA training will help me keep workers on my jobs safe.”
“I drive around my community a lot
and see a lot of places that need help,” said Neal. “With the education I got
in this class, I can start taking steps to improve my community and my
environment. I did so much to stay in this class, juggling my kids, school and
work at the same time. But I felt like I had to just put this class first
because if I didn’t, I’d be missing out on one of the best opportunities of my
life.”
