About the Skilled Trade Academy
The Skilled Trade Academy is a Pre-Apprenticeship training program designed to provide participants a well-rounded pathway into high-paying, in-demand construction careers. The curriculum design empowers and equips you with the necessary skills to obtain and maintain employment in the construction trades. The program utilizes the Home Builders Institute’s nationally recognized Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) curriculum combined with OWL’s Person-Centered focus to provide participants the skills and supports to obtain and maintain employment in a well-paying high demand industry.
The Skilled Trade Academy is approximately sixteen (16) weeks. During this time, your role with OWL and the Skilled Trade Academy is that of a program participant and student, not an employee. The program is Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM every day. In the event a schedule changes for holidays or other reasons, we will notify you in advance.
The skills and training you receive through the Academy are the skills employers identify as those they need the most from a new employee. Your training consists of:
- Workplace essential skills in communication, teamwork, problem solving, etc.
- OSHA-10 Safety Training
- Electrical, plumbing, flooring, painting and finishing, and carpentry trade skills based upon the Home Builder’s Institute’s industry recognized curriculum
- Job readiness skills such as job search, applying for jobs, resume building, and interviewing skills
The Skilled Trade Academy is a Pre-Apprenticeship training program designed to provide participants a well-rounded pathway into high-paying, in-demand construction careers. The curriculum design empowers and equips you with the necessary skills to obtain and maintain employment in the construction trades. The program utilizes the Home Builders Institute’s nationally reaThe course design is a combination of classroom and work based learning activities where you get to learn, practice, and hone your skills. Classroom activities account for about 25 percent of the time in the program while work-based learning accounts for 75 percent of your learning experience. Many of the work-based learning activities take place in an actual worksite where you get to put your new skills to work and receive an hourly stipend allowing you to earn while you learn. Students receive stipends for qualifying hours via a Bluegrass Area Development District Work Experience Program and you must enroll in Bluegrass Area Development District’s program to participate. Payments are in the form of an hourly “wage” and qualifying hours are those during Work Based Learning activities while attending STA. The “wages” earned by participants are an incentive allowing students to devote the appropriate time to completing the program without causing financial harm.
You will also complete an Individual Learn Plan (ILP) and an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE). An ILP is an interactive process we guide you through allowing you to establish your individual learning goals learning goals, create a plan for reaching those goals, and determine what supports you need in accomplishing those goals. An IPE is also an interactive guided process but its focus is on employment. The IPE allows you to establish your employment goals, develop a plan for reaching those goals, and helps you understand what supports are required to reach those goals. The Skilled Trade Academy program coordinator serves are your guide and for this process and works with you individually during the week of orientation to complete these plans.
cognized Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) curriculum combined with OWL’s Person-Centered focus to provide participants the skills and supports to obtain and maintain employment in a well-paying high demand industry.
The Skilled Trade Academy is approximately sixteen (16) weeks. During this time, your role with OWL and the Skilled Trade Academy is that of a program participant and student, not an employee. The program is Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM every day. In the event a schedule changes for holidays or other reasons, we will notify you in advance.