Renton — Build Up, a nonprofit founded by tradeswomen to supply statewide wraparound supports for apprentices, told the House committee it has distributed work boots, PPE and other immediate supports to hundreds of people, including students training inside correctional facilities.

"We have been serving apprentices and pre‑apprentices since March," Megan Pearson, executive director of Build Up, told the committee. She said the group has helped more than 160 apprentices and provided boots and PPE to 107 students in five Department of Corrections preparatory classes, with 7 of 10 released program participants moving into trades employment so far.

Pearson described the nonprofits remote fulfillment model for boots and PPE: items are issued in class inside facilities when allowed, inventoried centrally if they cannot be released immediately, and shipped to participants on release. Build Up also provides short‑term supports such as car insurance reinstatement, cell phones and small emergency grants to address immediate barriers that would otherwise prevent entry or retention in apprenticeship.

Why it matters: presenters and lawmakers emphasized that apprentices often face short‑term cash flow and logistical barriers (transportation, tools, childcare) that can cause cancellations; Build Up and Construct a Career leaders said small, targeted supports can materially increase the odds an applicant or first‑year apprentice stays in a program.

Funding and limits: Pearson said Build Ups funding has included grants from Labor & Industries (ended June 30) and Sound Transit and that the nonprofit is pursuing additional partners, including WSDOT and private donors. She reported spending roughly $35,000 on boots and related supplies for prison classes and about $42,700 in support services overall since March; she also reported an 88% client retention figure among the apprentices Build Up served during its initial months.

Build Ups leaders asked legislators to consider sustainable funding lines for support services and to coordinate with correctional education and post‑release planning so construction training inside prisons can translate into apprenticeship placements on release.