Tremco Construction Products Group (Tremco CPG) announced the graduation of its first cohort of students from Achieve Green, a Rising Stars program that creates avenues for young people to gain the skills and perspective needed to pursue a career within various green construction fields. 

The cohort students followed the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) Apprenticeship Pathway. Having met the requirements of the IUPAT District Council 35 Boston and the Finishing Trades Institution of New England (FTI) pre-apprenticeship program, graduates Raymondo Antoine, Chris Lewis Coppin, John Herrera, Jonathan Montiero, and Mhesaih Thompson are now eligible to complete the final steps toward becoming apprentice glaziers.

“There is a critical need across our nation for skilled workers in the construction industry,” stated Tremco CPG Rising Stars Program Director David Hutchinson. “Tremco CPG’s Rising Stars Program was developed in response to this issue and is proud to work with affiliate programs across the nation, including Achieve Green, to provide a viable pathway for young adults interested in learning a skilled trade.”

Supported by Tremco CPG, the Rising Stars Program aims to cultivate a strong, well-rounded workforce in the construction industry through supporting youth in vocational programs, as well as minority- and women-owned businesses. Its programs offer hands-on education with subject matter experts to develop diverse skillsets, increase access to resources, and ultimately drive success for those emerging in the industry.

“Achieve Green is more than just workforce training for high school students,” said Adrianne Level, Boston Day & Evening Academy program leader. “It very firmly places our young people in a better position to succeed—providing opportunities to learn a skill that will open the door to steady, well-paying work in the years ahead. The program helps them build an economically stable lifestyle, which ultimately creates the foundation for them to become responsible, contributing members of our community.”

Achieve Green is a Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) Workforce Equity Grant program that, realizing the future of the construction industry points toward clean energy jobs, aims to ensure that opportunities in this field are equitable for all. The program provides two pathways for Boston Public School seniors to explore potential careers in the construction trade. These include the IUPAT Apprenticeship Pathway, which provides training for glaziers, weatherization techs and turbine blade repair; and the Energy Assessor/Auditor Pathway, a partnership with identified Boston Community Colleges and the Northeast Home Energy Rating System Alliance.

“This program aims to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in the green construction sector by offering real-life pathways to employment to students from underrepresented communities,” said Alisha Harrington, Browning the Green Space deputy director. “Through the MassCEC Workforce Equity Grant, we are able to bridge the gap between schooling and a career while connecting more people of color, especially young people, with the growing opportunities within the clean energy industry.”

“Our International Union, and local affiliate District Council 35, are exceedingly proud of our first class of graduates and of the example they have set for the classes to come,” said John Doherty, senior advisor at IUPAT. “We look forward to the opportunity to continue this program’s success as a national model and make an impact on the future of green construction in the years to come.”