Posted by: Asher Nichols, owner of Asher Nichols & Craftsmen, and Director Chair of Workforce Development Committee

Recently, I had the chance to speak with Executive Director Brent Runyon from the Providence Preservation Society in Providence Rhode Island.

Their mission is to improve Providence by advocating for historic preservation and the enhancement of the city’s unique character through thoughtful design and planning.

The organization found over recent years that it was becoming difficult to find cost-effective approaches to preserving building components, specifically original wood windows. So they set upon a pilot program to develop local talent. The Window and Workforce Training Program!!

This was no small task given that it was Fall 2020 and the pandemic made things a bit more challenging. Still, exceptional results were achieved!

This pilot training program began in September 2020 and ran for five weeks. The participants took advantage of classroom time, tons of hands-on time, and site visits. Admirably, 8 students completed the course and since then, 6 have found gainful employment in this field.

Through a partnership with several local organizations including Heritage Restoration and EM NARI’s own Red House Custom Building, the next round of training is set to begin in April and they are accepting applications for this paid opportunity!

The Providence Preservation Society will be incorporating a job fair component into this spring’s training. EM NARI’s members who will be looking for qualified workers should contact Kelsey Mullen.

Please find more about the program click here.