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Programs

Program Goals

Foundation for Trades, Inc.’s mission is to increase opportunities for individuals to become self-sufficient by learning building trades. Our goal is to encourage underemployed persons to seek strong work skill sets in general construction, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, welding, and other building trades that are in high demand. We want to provide a foundation of knowledge to a new workforce that will fill an ever-increasing gap of industrial talent. Initially, our focus will be on providing scholarships to individuals to attend accredited trade schools, helping trade school graduates to locate employment, and over time with available funding, offer our own set of trade school classes in different disciplines to provide individuals a foundation of the core requirements needed to be successful in the industry.

Technical School Scholarships

Foundation for Trades, Inc.’s first program will be to provide scholarship gifts to individuals seeking to enroll in accredited technical school programs. Some of the popular trades that enrollees can choose from will include general construction, carpentry, plumbing, or electrical. See Training Availability page for classes that are currently offered.

The scholarship is specifically for persons who show strong aptitude towards building trades, desire to work in the trade upon completion of certificate program, and have the required educational background to be successful in the technical trade selected. Our scholarship amounts will be determined annually. The award amount will vary depending on the need of the applicant and cost of the program but will traditionally range from $500 to $6,000. The awards must be used specifically for technical school costs (i.e. tuition, program fees, books, etc) and would be applied specifically to the student’s educational account.

Presently, our scholarship awards are restricted to individuals attending an accredited technical school. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED prior to enrolling in any technical trade program. All applicants will be required to provide a high school transcripts, letter of recommendation, letter of trade school acceptance, and write a 500 to 1,000 word essay on why they want to work in the selected trade. Students that apply early have the best opportunity of getting approved for our scholarship program. Our goal is to select approximately 10 students each year based on their financial need and the essay that communicates why they want to work as a trade professional. Individuals that are selected into our scholarship program will automatically be enrolled in our job search program unless he or she can demonstrate receiving full-time employment within the recently acquired technical trade skill in no more than 8 weeks after graduation.

Property Improvement Program

In order to provide our students with hands on experience, we will work with local communities to obtain dilapidated properties and work to restore these properties. Our students will be able to work with local contractors as Pre-Apprentice/Internee’s and will receive working knowledge on their specific trades. Once the property is complete Foundation for Trades will provide that property back to the community as Affordable Housing.  This program is designed to help our students obtain the knowledge they need for their trade of choice, and it will also be a way for Foundation for Trades to give back to the community it serves. 

Foundation for Trades will also work with other 501c3 on their projects to aid with hands on resources when possible.

Long Term Goals

Foundation for Trades, Inc.’s long-term (2021+) intent is to develop and conduct our own educational classes and combine the classes with the internship program for a more rounded program that includes both traditional classroom components and real-life experience. The expanded educational program will be a 1-year program and would require full time commitment from individuals. There will be a formal certificate at the close of the program, and all individuals will have a full working knowledge to be successful in the trades taught as part of the program. Our instructors will be subject matter experts in their fields, all with decades of experience to share. By the end of the course, the students will have a foundation of knowledge in the specific field of interest that they will be able to bring to the workforce.

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