Collaboration brings skilled trades training for area homeless

Lansing, Michigan, August 2016 – On July 26, 2016, a program was launched in the Greater Lansing area that will be making a difference in the lives of many area residents. The B.O.P. Program (Building Opportunities for People) was created in collaboration with local electrical company Consolidated Electrical Contractors, The Greater Michigan Construction Academy and the Ingham County organization Homeless Angels. The purpose of the B.O.P. Program is to provide an opportunity for the homeless community of Greater Lansing to build their skill set in order to find employment opportunities that allow them to enjoy a better way of life.

I think it’s important for those less fortunate and homeless be given an opportunity to break the cycle. I believe that good paying jobs, training, and hard work can help anyone looking for a positive hand up. This partnership will help many who would not otherwise get this opportunity, lift themselves up off the streets, and make a better life for themselves and their families.”, said Mike Karl, Founder of Homeless Angels.

In 2014, data collected by The Campaign to End Homelessness* showed that there were a total of 9,251 homeless people in Region 7 (Greater Lansing). Of those,
7,887 were “literally homeless”, meaning they currently lived on the streets or in a shelter. The other 1,364 were homeless but living with a friend or family member due to a housing crisis and had no other means of support.

The goals of the program are to:
• Give people an introduction to the construction trades in an entry level class that makes them aware of opportunities for future trade specific training.
• Build a project as a group within the entry level class that we can offer back to the community for their use.
• Provide a path to move from the entry level class into trade specific craft training. (Scholarships will be available to those who qualify.)
• Provide students access to employers who could potentially hire them as apprentices.

Class will be held every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12PM-3PM at the GMCA office located at 1501 Rensen, Suite C. Each participant will receive an NCCER Core Certification, as well as an introduction to one or more of the following trades: carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and welding.

Corey Hannahs, Vice President of Operations at Consolidated Electrical Contractors, stated “As a company that this community has helped keep in business for over 90 years, we know it is our duty to give back. In designing this program, we wanted to ensure that the investment we made would reap long term benefits for all involved. Providing students with construction skills will give them tools they can use for employment anywhere they want to go and those skills can never be taken away. It is our hope that this program gives these individuals and their families a path to a more sustainable, improved way of life.”
*www.thecampaigntoendhomeless.org

For more information contact Corey Hannahs, Consolidated Electrical Contractors at 517.202.3037 or channahs@conelectric.com