How P2A union apprenticeship program is pathway to bright economic future for those often left behind

They handed out awards to deserving honorees. They raised a decent chunk of money. And they gave heart-felt speeches.

It’s what you do at nonprofit gatherings.

But the Pathways to Apprenticeship reception at the sky suite of the amazing Iconiq 777 Thursday night in Newark was different.

Its biggest takeaway was the light it shed on the incredible work P2A is doing to change the lives of a communities that not only are underserved but seemingly are rarely even recognized — Black and Brown neighborhoods at the lowest end of the economic spectrum and the previously incarcerated.

The P2A program, which began in New Jersey in 2021, prepares individuals for an apprenticeship with a labor union, offering them a chance for an economic future of good pay and good benefits that they never imagined were possible.

Chance is the key word.

P2A leaders said they are eager to offer a second chance to many who never seemingly got a first — but they are not simply handing out opportunities, executive director John Blyden said.

Enrollees in the 6- to 8-week training program must demonstrate they have basic skills (there is a math assessment), but more than that, they must show they have the attitude and character that are necessary to join unions that thrive on the collaboration of their members.

Potential opportunities with laborers, carpenters, bricklayers and elevator constructors unions await.

“Everybody doesn’t make it,” Blyden said. “If you don’t show up on time, don’t pay attention in class, don’t show the right attitude, you’re out.

“This is not a program where everybody gets a trophy.”

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Everyone does get an opportunity in the P2A program — an opportunity that takes into account everything the enrollee may be facing, Blyden said.

“We meet people where they’re at,” he said. “Whether it’s mental health, housing, food insecurity or transportation issues — whatever it is, we take all those hurdles away.”

There’s a team approach, Blyden said.

“We have the union participating in the training so that they can feel comfortable that our graduates are ready for this pathway,” he said. “And when our graduates do get into the apprenticeship programs, we provide mentors, so they understand what they’re walking into and what is going to be expected of them.”

LiUNA, the Laborers’ International Union of North America, was one of the first unions to participate in the program.

Vice President and Eastern Regional Manager Mike Hellstrom, who was honored with the labor award, said P2A is a win-win for all involved.

“This is a life-changing program where we’re using our resources as a union to help give people a direct entry into our apprenticeship program,” he said. “If they can get through this training, then we know they can be successful.”

Hellstrom said what unions can offer is the ultimate incentive.

“Everybody wants a good job with good wages, good benefits and a future that includes a good retirement,” he said. “Building trades unions offer that. And we’re eager to use that as the catalyst when we’re reaching out to the formerly incarcerated and to Black, Brown and underserved communities, and then linking up with different partners in the community to make that a reality.

“That’s how we’re going to be able to transform this industry. That’s how we’re going to make sure that developers are using building trades workers more and more – because the benefit is really for them as much as it is for us.”

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Wasseem Boraie, vice president of Boraie Development, has never needed to be convinced.

And the event’s location, Iconiq 777, made entirely with union labor, is an example of why his family’s firm always has used union labor, Boraie said.

“We want the job done right,” he said to a roar from a crowd of a hundred or so.

Boraie, after being presented the Developer of the Year award, offered praise to many who share in the philosophy.

He made special mention of Joe Jingoli, the winner of the Legacy Award who has a long history of creating programs that create opportunities for workers who otherwise have been left behind. He also thanked Bill O’Dea, who has long worked with Boraie and others on inner-city workforce development programs to ensure urban projects provide economic opportunities to those who live in the neighborhood where the project is being built.

The neighborhood aspect of the program cannot be overlooked, Essex County Commissioner and P2A President Wayne Richardson said.

“This is about uplifting human beings and entire communities,” he said. “It starts with one person, but when that one person starts showing up with a tool belt and stops hanging out on the block, it makes others see there are opportunities.

“The training is great, but this is the real reward – and this what we’re supposed to be doing as a society: Lifting people up.”

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Richardson and Blyden are thrilled P2A has been able to do so much in its short history. And they were pleased to announce one of their next training classes — preparing potential workers for the Cooper University Hospital expansion project — has 45 enrollees.

The P2A program, of course, needs money to survive and thrive. It has received more than $1 million in grants from state and federal programs since it started, and it continues to fundraise through developers such as Boraie but also organizations that are committed to the cause.

Thursday night’s event raised more than $150,000.

Nick DiRocco, a vice president at South Jersey Industries, came with a half-dozen colleagues in a show of support. The P2A program fits into SJI’s vision and mission for the communities it serves, he said.

“Being involved in a program that gives people a second chance to get into a career that’s not only life-altering for them but for their family is something we had to be a part of,” he said. “It’s a program that can be hugely impactful for generations.

“We’re all about finding ways to make an impact in the community. And what can be better than giving people a pathway to a better life.”

Blyden encouraged other unions and other organizations to reach out to learn how they can collaborate with P2A. He said the program itself serves as a proof of concept.

“The graduates we send out are our ambassadors,” he said. “And once a union has a taste of a P2A graduate, they come back for more because they know they are getting a quality individual that’s ready to work.”