The OHBA Job Ready program is now closed
Participants in the OHBA Job Ready Program receive wrap-around support throughout their work placement. Through weekly 1-1 career advising sessions, participants have a place to get their workplace questions answered and plan for a path in the construction industry.
Here are four reasons our 1-1 support is vital to participant success:
No matter how welcoming and helpful an employer is, it’s important for new employees to have a place or person that they can rely on when they need a career sounding board. Our weekly coaching sessions enable participants to get their questions answered quickly so they can go back to their job site with an action plan.
During this individualized support, participants and their coaches craft a plan together that will allow the participant to get curious about construction. The coach helps them identify areas of their work that they do or do not enjoy so they can determine which path to discuss further with their employer.
If the participant enjoys framing, for example, they could speak with their employer about potential leadership roles in that area in the future. This career pathing helps with retention as well. According to LinkedIn’s 2022 Global Talent Trends Report, retention rates in the construction industry rise from 50 to 70% when employers and employees work together to achieve internal promotions and career mobility.
Participants must show their commitment to the placement process by attending these weekly sessions, which holds them accountable for their work. When participants know that they’re supported in this way, they become more engaged with their jobs and less likely to struggle with common workplace issues such as absenteeism. Their coaches are there to help and encourage them throughout the process to ensure that they know that they’re not alone.
According to Rahim Charania, Construction Program Coordinator and Pre Employment Trainer with Job Ready partner The Career Foundation, the team is prepared to help participants work through whatever they’re dealing with: “We try to make sure that the team that we build has some lived experience and has faced some sort of barriers throughout their lives. That way, we can relate to the participants we’re helping.”
Employers and employees benefit from this ongoing professional development without having to shoulder the financial burden that normally comes with it. Employees have access to services they wouldn’t otherwise and employers benefit from entry level participants who have direct access to mental health support and career counseling without it affecting their bottom line.
Ultimately, participants thrive in the program when they’re willing to commit to weekly 1-1 sessions and ongoing professional development. And, when they do, the rewards could come sooner than expected. Take it from Brian Cooke of Air Sealing Professionals, a Job Ready Employer: “As a small company, scaling is one of the things we always worry about. As you grow, you have to hand over the reins to the next generation of leaders in your organization and we always feared we had a gap. Now we have two young leaders through the OHBA Job Ready Program — it’s helped us scale in a big way.”
When Job Ready participants receive power skills training, 1-1 counseling, and wrap-around support, they have the potential to become valuable long term employees and fill growing employment gaps in the construction industry. Do you have an entry level role you’ve been struggling to fill quickly with a qualified candidate? Get started with the program today.
