Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Apprenticeship Readiness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee considers funding to expand apprenticeship‑readiness program Building Strong Communities
Summary
Building Strong Communities (BSC), a 12‑week apprenticeship‑readiness program that combines online and hands‑on training, sought continued support (HF 1216). The committee heard testimony from program leaders and graduates describing training, placement and growth; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a future budget bill.
Representative Peggy Berg presented House File 1216 to support Building Strong Communities, a statewide 12‑week apprenticeship readiness program that prepares people for registered construction apprenticeships.
Rick Martigan, executive director of Building Strong Communities and a retired journeyman, said the program pairs online classroom work with hands‑on training delivered in multiple Minnesota regions and provides OSHA 10 safety training, foundational construction math and mentorship. “BSC is just not a workforce program. It's a pathway to lifelong careers in the skilled trades,” Martigan said, describing partnerships with community colleges, registered apprenticeship programs and Construct Tomorrow, a high‑school outreach program.
Three program graduates testified about how the program led to apprenticeships and full‑time work. Dylan (Keelan) Newman, a second‑year insulator and U.S. Army reservist, described attending classes while experiencing housing instability and credited BSC with prompt outreach, mentorship and practical support that helped him complete training and enter the trades. “He gave me the OSHA training and everything I needed to get done,” Newman said of program staff.
Dorylissa Squires described moving from medical‑field work into a union apprenticeship after BSC’s support helped her navigate placement, housing and training. Natalie Pilring, a 2024 graduate, said the program paid for boots and travel to training and that she is now a first‑year operating engineer apprentice supporting her family. “Building Strong Communities covered those costs for me,” Pilring said.
Martigan provided outcome figures: enrollment grew from 43 participants in 2022 to 127 in 2025, with 105 completions in the most recent cohort and significant placement totals over three years. Representative Berg said the program focuses on people who lack family apprenticeship ties and on groups underrepresented in the trades, including women, people of color and veterans.
Committee members asked how BSC complements other apprenticeship and workforce programs; Martigan said BSC combines best practices from prior programs and emphasizes one‑on‑one supports and post‑placement advocacy. The committee laid HF 1216 over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus budget bill; no appropriation was approved during the hearing.
