How the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) program is helping diversify talent on the job-site

When the Wisconsin Center District was given the green light to expand the Baird Center (formerly the Wisconsin Center), its leadership committed to ambitious diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals for the project. However, once the hiring of construction and trades staff began, a big problem emerged. No matter how hard the construction management team at Gilbane | Smith looked for diverse workers, there weren’t enough trained and available tradespeople in Milwaukee to meet the project’s robust DEI goals.

In discussions on how to address this issue, an idea started to emerge. If the project team can’t find enough Milwaukee residents already trained to work on the expansion, they need to train more.

With that goal in mind, a unique and exciting partnership between Employ Milwaukee, WRTP | BIG STEP and Gilbane | Smith  developed. Joining forces, they discussed how to close significant diversity gaps on several large construction projects in the city, including the Baird Center expansion. Everyone agreed that for Milwaukee to have the needed impact from these projects, residents living in Milwaukee’s most underserved zip codes needed to be working on them.

“It was a collaborative project from the very start. From inception to execution to evaluation, and all partners were involved the entire process. There was an understanding from the very beginning that it was going to take all the partners to make it work and make it successful,” WRTP BIG STEP President and CEO Lindsay Blumer said.

After months of careful planning and consideration, a specially designed TradeSmart program using the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3), the first of its kind in Wisconsin, was launched.

“I really think there is a huge benefit of taking advantage of working with these teams to get different individuals into the trades. I think it’s a tool that we’re going to utilize more and more because of the workforce shortage that’s out there,” C.D. Smith Director of Field Operations Dave Supple said.

MC3  is a nationally recognized curriculum that gives participants a comprehensive understanding of the construction industry ahead of apprenticeship. Employ, WRTP and Gilbane | Smith enhanced the six-week program to ensure all trainees were paid and provided additional resources and lifelong skills, like personal development and interview techniques. Some subjects covered in the training included:

• History of the trades.
• Financial literacy.
• Diversity.
• Tool identification.
• Sexual harassment training.
• Construction math.
• Health and safety protocols.
• Blueprint reading.
• Cultural competency.
• Green construction.
• Goal setting.
• Mock interviews.

Employ Milwaukee helped fund the training, stipends and wages with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

“As adults, you have to make hard decisions, especially people who may have children or families. You’ve got to have some type of income. When we can offer a stipend or offer pay while a person is in training, then they don’t have to juggle the decision to stay in the training or take another opportunity because they need money right here, right now. They can complete what they started and can get the credentials necessary so that they can get that job that they’re looking for,” Employ Milwaukee President and CEO Chytania Brown said.

WRTP | BIG STEP facilitated the training and tapped into its diverse network to recruit trainees to participate in the program, all of whom are a part of the Residents Preference Program (RPP).

Before enrolling, prospective students needed to pass a placement exam to determine which trade was the best fit. WRTP offered free tutoring for people who didn’t pass on the first try.

After the class wrapped, WRTP helped graduates apply for apprenticeships in their trade of choice. While waiting to hear about their application, graduates kickstarted their careers with 12 weeks of paid work experience. Gilbane matched candidates with several subcontractors on the Baird Center expansion project. Nine people from the program gained valuable experience and a nice paycheck working on the Baird Center expansion, the largest construction project in the state, before their apprenticeships started. Gilbane | Smith is funding the trainees’ 12-week paid work experiences.

After 12 weeks of paid work experience, all trainees are expected to have been offered an apprenticeship. WRTP follows up with graduates who haven’t received an apprenticeship to make sure they get placed. WRTP continues to check in with them for the next year to ensure they progress in their new careers.

The MC3 program helped several Milwaukeeans gain skills that lead to high-paying, sustainable careers.

“The MC3 program is for everybody, but the focus of this trial run has been to specifically reach out to communities of color who haven’t historically had an opportunity in the trades. It helps create that pipeline. That pipeline can continue to grow,” Gilbane Building Company Economic Inclusion Senior Specialist James Methu said.

In addition, the MC3 program helped the Baird Center surpass its RPP goal. Over 40 percent of on-site construction labor hours are being performed by residents living in some of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.

“It is critical that the Baird Center expansion is representative of Milwaukee and its diverse residents. By offering jobs in the city for people of the city, we are involving the community first-hand and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to be a part of Milwaukee’s growth and development,” said WCD President and CEO Marty Brooks.