A $10 million initiative is helping Clevelanders find good-paying jobs. How one man went from dead-end gigs to electrician apprentice
The Built Environment Collaborative has upcoming job training fairs that can link residents with new career pathways.
Maurice Bogard Jr. was sick and tired of holding dead-end warehouse jobs.
The ones he worked in Greater Cleveland often didn’t pay enough for the single father to support his family. He was able to get better pay by taking out-of-town assignments, but it meant being away from home for long stretches.
Bogard, 34, has always wanted to be an electrician, but he didn’t know anyone in the trade and had no idea how to land an apprenticeship. Then he got connected with the Built Environment Collaborative, a $10 million federally funded initiative whose focus includes offering free and low-cost training programs aimed at getting Cleveland residents jobs in construction, infrastructure and the clean energy industry. The collaborative also works with small businesses, often helping them to build capacity so that they are in a better position to bid on contracts.
Just because you’ve never held a hammer before or you don’t necessarily want to work under the hot, beating sun all summer long doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities for good jobs that we can tie you to that don’t require that kind of physical labor.”
Renée Timberlake, the Built Environment Collaborative’s director, on why Cleveland residents should considers the initiative’s upcoming job fairs.
In a few weeks, Bogard will complete his first year of a five-year electrician apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union.
“I love going to work,” he said. “If you get a job you like, you’ll never work again a day in your life. I never understood what that meant until I started doing what I love.”
Bogart is so enthusiastic about how collaborative programs moved him from dead-end jobs to a promising career that he was tapped to meet with President Joe Biden last fall to tell him how transformative the training has been.
Upcoming job training fairs focus on pathways to well-paying jobs
The Built Environment Collaborative, which is only open to Cleveland residents, routinely holds job training fairs with Cleveland City Council members. These are the next two events:
- The job training fair with Council Member Brian Kazy will be held May 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Jefferson-Puritas West Park Community Development Corp., 14703 Puritas Ave., Cleveland.
- The job training fair with Cleveland Council Member Kevin Conwell and Cuyahoga County Council Member Yvonne Conwell will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. June 17 at the Glenville branch of Cleveland Public Library, 11900 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. (The branch, which has been closed for renovations, is scheduled to reopen by mid-June.)
If you are remotely interested in a construction-related field, Renée Timberlake, the Built Environment Collaborative’s director, encourages you to attend a job training fair.
“Just because you’ve never held a hammer before or you don’t necessarily want to work under the hot, beating sun all summer long doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities for good jobs that we can tie you to that don’t require that kind of physical labor,” she said.
She said if you don’t have a GED or are among the formerly incarcerated, also known as returning citizens or justice-impacted individuals, don’t let that get in the way of attending. Timberlake said such factors often don’t eliminate people from receiving training or landing a job.
For information about the collaborative and its programs: builtenvironmentcollab.org
How does the Built Environment Collaborative work?
The Built Environment Collaborative focuses on four areas with the intention of improving employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for Clevelanders:
Job training and career pathways – These aim to connect participants with training, including that for short-term certificates, multi-year apprenticeships, industry recognized credentials and training that requires college courses.
Employment assistance – The collaborative aims “to create a pipeline to real job opportunities” by connecting Cleveland residents to local contractors, developers and unions looking for skilled workers.
Small business resources – The collaborative lets small businesses know about contract opportunities. It also works with Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) in building their capacity to bid on projects.
Support services – The collaborative works with participants to address road blocks that can prevent them from completing training or becoming a competitive business. Such support includes paying for childcare, car repairs, RTA passes and tools for apprentices, Timberlake said. The collaborative has also paid for computers and software for small startup businesses and one year of bonding insurance for MBEs.
The Built Environment Collaborative is funded through the $511.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money Cleveland received from the COVID-19 stimulus package. Greater Cleveland Works, the workforce development board for Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, submitted a proposal to the city for the collaborative initiative and received $10 million, Timberlake said. The collaborative’s work officially started in 2023, but things really didn’t get up and running until last year, she said. The funding goes through the end of 2026.
Timberlake said the Built Environment Collaborative is focusing on construction-related fields because of stimulus funding such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Ohio’s share for bridges, roads, tunnels and other surface infrastructure projects is nearly $2 billion.
“Knowing that there was going to be this huge influx of funding locally, we wanted to make sure that we had Cleveland residents who were involved in those projects,” she said.
How is the Built Environment Collaborative doing so far?
The collaborative has enrolled about 1,500 in training and placed 250 of them in jobs, as of December 2024, Timberlake said. She expects the numbers for the first quarter of 2025 to be higher. That data is still being compiled. The collaborative’s work officially started in 2023, though things really didn’t get up and running until last year, Timberlake said. The initiative is funded
The 250 placements only represent the fields the collaborative has targeted, she said. She said many participants have used the training to land jobs in manufacturing, health care and other fields for which the Built Environment Collaborative doesn’t track placements.
These are the 13 collaborative organizations, many of which train participants, that have received funding: ACE Mentor Program, Contractors Assistance Association, Cleveland Builds, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Greater Cleveland Partnership, HHW Ohio (formerly Hard Hatted Women), Rid-All Green Partnership, Spanish American Committee, Towards Employment, Cuyahoga Community College, United Labor Agency, Urban League of Greater Cleveland and Youth Opportunities Unlimited.
A trip to the White House to tell his story
Bogard received training in Cleveland Builds’ Apprenticeship-Readiness Program before he became an electrician apprentice with IBEW Local 38.
He remembers how he recited affirmations before interviewing to get into both programs.
“I’m intelligent,” he said aloud, beginning with when he woke up and repeated frequently. “I’m strong. I’m resilient. I have drive and motivation.”
Needless to say, he aced both interviews.
Bogard’s sister, Natasha Johnson, knew some Built Environment Collaborative
participants and sent her brother a link to find out more about the program. Once he was accepted, all the obstacles that had been deferring his dream of being an electrician – including not knowing any electricians or how to get an apprenticeship – crumbled. At Cleveland Builds, Bogard gained skills used in the building trades and met electricians who guided him through the process of applying for the apprenticeship.
The electrician apprenticeship is among the most competitive to land, but Bogard was determined. He was ready for the testing and interviews. When the interview panel asked whether he was prepared to work long hours, he didn’t have to ponder the question.
“I worked over 100 hours a week when I was working out of town,” Bogard told him of his warehouse jobs. “Drive has never been an issue for me as long as what I’m doing is going to bring me the results I’m looking for.”
As a Cleveland Builds alumnus, Bogart was invited to an Apprenticeship-Readiness Program graduation last fall. He ended up speaking with IBEW union officials and Tom Perez, a senior advisor to Biden. The conversation led to Bogart being invited to the Classroom to Career Summit at the White House last November. Biden called Bogart to the stage when he told of the Cleveland man’s work life before and after participating in the Built Environment Collaborative. Bogart’s sons, Aiden Bogart, 9, and Jaxson Bogart, 6, accompanied him to the stage. His sister also attended.
“It was super amazing,” the apprentice said.
Bogart continues to enjoy his apprenticeship, which includes classroom and real-life experience. One of his assignments was working on the lighting, which many consider iconic, at Progressive Field.
“The Cleveland Builds program and this apprenticeship have been a life-changer for me,” he said.