Whether you’ve known us since our beginnings, or are learning about us for the first time, we’re glad you’re here. At Tekton Career Training, our passion is seeing people gain a new sense of hope, rise above their circumstances, and start working towards the life they want.
Our hope here is to give you a very brief overview of who we are and what we do, as well as provide you with some ways to stay connected. If you want to know more even more about us, feel free to explore the rest of the site, or even better, subscribe to our mailing list to keep up to date with what’s happening. We won’t bombard you with emails. We promise!
Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s dive in and take a look at who we are!
Refugee Population Meets Construction Industry
The idea for Tekton Career Training (formerly ‘The Lantern Project’) was conceived as a joint solution to two problems: a refugee community eager for better jobs and a decline in the number of “skilled” construction workers. We saw that construction companies needed and were looking for qualified workers, and there were people in the refugee community who were willing to work these jobs. The only thing lacking was the training.
With that in mind, back in 2014, through a unique collaboration between local churches, volunteer organizations, construction craft educators, and industry leaders, we successfully trained our first class of students and helped them find jobs in the construction industry.
During that first year, we saw changes in students that went beyond career training; we saw hope and dignity restored. We realized that what we were doing was bigger than just helping somebody find a new job. It was laying a foundation for a better life. Since then we have been striving to empower as many people as possible to lay their own foundations and start working towards the life they desire.
We still operate along the same lines as we did back in 2014, but we’ve made improvements along the way. Our desire is to see our students not only find jobs but thrive in both work and life beyond their time at Tekton Career Training. In order to see that happen, we know we need to take a holistic approach to our program curriculum. We are constantly re-evaluating how we do that, and as of now, we’ve identified four aspects on which to focus.
Four Aspects of Career Preparation
1. Training Based On Industry Standards
We want our career training to be legitimate and recognized across the construction industry. All of our students start with a core curriculum that was developed by The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). It covers some basics like safety, construction math, and different tools.
After that, they move onto specific discipline training in either Carpentry, Electricity, Pipefitting, or Welding. Once they move into a specific discipline, training is provided by experienced professionals who are qualified to teach the skills our students need.
2. Interpersonal Development Through Mentorship
In order to see our students thrive in their careers, we also coach them in interpersonal skills. We do this through volunteer mentors from the community. Our mentors are individuals who choose to partner with students in a way that extends beyond class hours. Being a mentor is all about walking alongside somebody who is new to this culture, and helping them learn to navigate through it.
We’re very proud of our mentorship program and have seen great relationships come out of it. The support and encouragement provided by our mentors is critical to the long-term success of our students.
3. Professional Leadership Development
While our mentors advise our students on a day to day basis, we also incorporate training events and workshops led by different community and business leaders. These give our students examples of people who have done well and provides them with practical advice for things like setting goals, managing finances, and persevering.
4. Career Placement For Long-Term Employment
Long-term employment is always our end goal. To best see that achieved, we partner with local job-readiness organizations, staffing agencies, and construction companies to have our students placed in careers as soon as possible.
How You Can Stay Connected
You may have noticed that our success is dependent upon working with great people. Students, mentors, and people in our community all contribute to making Tekton Career Training better. If any part of our story or what we do has resonated with you, we’d encourage you to consider the options below for staying in touch!
Interested in becoming a student? Consider filling out our Program Application Form.
Do you have specific questions about how you can become involved? Get in touch with us at our Contact Page.
Want to stay up to date on the latest news and volunteer opportunities? Subscribe to our mailing list here or by using the form below, or follow us on Facebook.
Thank you for your support, and be on the lookout for more news and stories!
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