Construction Training Program

YouthBuild Boston’s Construction Training Program offers vocational and academic training for young people, ages 18-24. Our trainees learn valuable skills for beginning successful careers in the building trades. Our curriculum addresses all aspects of general construction, including green and other emerging technologies that prepare our trainees for a competitive job market.

Our students learn the value of their hard work, and the role they can play in strengthening their communities. On our construction sites, students build affordable housing for home assistance programs and low-income, first-time homeowners. These homes employ various green technologies, including energy efficient design, sustainably produced materials, alternative energy sources, and more. Special projects also benefit local nonprofits and community agencies. At YouthBuild Boston, young people play an active role in helping the community and the environment.

Program Tracks
The Construction Training Program meets the needs of students who have already earned a high school diploma or GED, as well those who are still pursuing one. There are two different program tracks, designed to meet the needs of individuals with different educational backgrounds:

The CORE track meets the needs of students who have not yet earned a high school diploma or GED. Students alternate each week between the classroom and the construction site.

The Advance track is for students who have earned a high school diploma or GED, and are in search of a starting point for a career in the building trades. Some Advance students have some familiarity with construction or carpentry, while others are driven purely by interest. Advance students may receive academic support as needed.

Program Curriculum
The program consists of four main instructional categories:

1. Academics — Students can pursue their GED, take 'construction math' classes, and/or receive extra help in other subjects.
2. Vocational education — Students learn a comprehensive set of construction skills in YouthBuild Boston's vocational education facilities and construction sites. All students receive OSHA safety training and receive their 'OSHA 10' card.
3. Life skills — Staff expose students to a variety of classes such as finance and budgeting, goal setting, resume writing, interview skills, problem-solving techniques that better prepare students to take responsibility for themselves and their families.
4. Counseling — One-on-one counseling for each participant in which they assist in goal setting, identifying barriers to success and overcoming challenges.

Specific skills and technologies our students learn include:

• Carpentry (framing, finish, flooring)
• Masonry (tile, brick work, stone)
• Concrete pouring
• Demolition & Excavation
• Roofing & green roofing
• Window installation
• Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
• Insulated Concrete Form foundations (ICFs)
• Photovoltaic panels

Most students complete the construction training program in 6-10 months. When students meet all program requirements, our counselors work with them to find jobs, join a union, and/or go to college or advanced training program. Some of our past graduates have gone on to Wentworth Institute of Technology, Lee Kennedy Construction, the Boston Housing Authority, Suffolk University, Bovis Lend Lease, and Continental Construction.

To find out if the program is right for you, please call us to find out about upcoming information sessions: 617.445.8887.

To apply for the program, please stop by our offices to fill out an application. You may also print out and complete the program application below, then deliver or mail it to:

YouthBuild Boston
Attn: Program Applications
504 Dudley Street, 1st Floor
Roxbury, MA 02119

Construction Training Program Application (PDF) 

You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and print the application. It may already be installed on your computer, or you can download it for free from Adobe's Web site.