Course Constructive for Students

By Melanie Marquez, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

Apr. 12–BRADENTON — People can’t cheat Terri Givson now, at least when it comes to construction.

“I used to look at a blueprint and not know what everything meant,” Givson said while standing outside the Central Community Redevelopment Agency’s building in east Bradenton on Tuesday morning.

Givson and her son, Quincy, are two of 20 students in the second session of “Give Us The Tools,” a construction education program offered by Bradenton Front Porch with help from the CCRA.

“Even if I’m taking the class for the lingo alone, it’s worth it,” said Givson, who would like to start her own stucco business.

The four-week course offers an introduction to construction with the goal of getting participants into full-time jobs. At least half of the 11 members of Front Porch’s first session are working, said Rodney Jones, the liaison for the state-funded community group.

“They feel good when they leave,” Jones said. “They feel like they’re empowered.”

Front Porch received a grant with enough funding to accommodate 40 students through the three sessions of the course, with the third starting April 24. Students earn $200 a week while in the class.

Word of the program spread fast, and Jones has a waiting list with almost 50 names.

Half of the students don’t have a high school diploma and more than half have had felony or misdemeanor convictions, Jones said. He looks at the course as offering more than construction training and includes other topics in the program, like resume writing, work etiquette and business financial planning.

Jones hopes the program can grow, but continuation depends on whether Front Porch can secure more grants.

Front Porch also started a youth entrepreneurship program that brings middle and high school students together for three Saturdays in a row to learn about starting a business. The next class begins April 29.

Parental involvement is mandatory, and students who meet all class requirements receive $500 to give their business idea a try.

Twynette Poole, a student in Give Us The Tools, wants her 18-year-old son to join the youth program. She enrolled with the construction class to be involved with the community and prepare to open a chid-care center.

By learning about zoning, permitting and safety, Poole said she’ll be better equipped to communicate with contractors while working on the Palmetto house she hopes to convert into a day-care center.

The course’s teacher, William Lynch, worked in construction for 50 years and owned a construction company for more than 15.

“I want this program to succeed, but the most important thing is that the students learn,” Lynch said.

Melanie Marquez, Bradenton city government reporter, can be reached at 748-0411, ext. 2620, or at mmarquez@HeraldToday.com [mailto:mmarquez@HeraldToday.com].

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