“I’ve been a roofer for 20 years. I’m brown skinned and I look like them, so I say to them, ‘Hey, you can be the CEO of your own company, too.’”
We have a great group of industry participants who come back year after year, but there will always be a need for more.” NextGen Trades Academy When called to talk about NextGen Trades Academy, Letitia Hanke answered her phone at Elsie Allen High School, where she was participating in a NextGen class attended by 15 youths. Hanke is chief executive officer of ARS Roofing in Santa Rosa and founder of the Lime Foundation, a nonprofit that started the academy in 2017 to provide vocational training to young people.
—Letitia Hanke
Letitia Hanke of NextGen Trades Academy.
900 members of NCBE in Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties account for much of the funding. “They are investing in this program to reach students in our communities. And after students graduate, they are employed by many of our member companies. We also rely on county funds and private donations, and are continually searching for opportunities to grow the program.” North Bay Construction Corps is dependent on industry participation, “and it is successful because of the amount of time and care our partners are devoting to it,” she adds. “We couldn’t do this without them. They are willing to spend their time and are committed to mentoring these students. Because of the hands-on instruction from our skilled partners, we are always on the lookout for new industry partners to add to the program.
“What a lot of youth and people of color don’t realize is they can walk into being an electrician or a carpenter fairly easily after receiving the necessary training,” says Hanke. “I’ve been a roofer for 20 years. I’m brown skinned and I look like them, so I say to them, ‘Hey, you can be the CEO of your own company, too.’” The academy is free to the students—the cost is covered by the Lime Foundation through donations specifically for the NextGen program. Hanke says 5% of each roofing job performed by her company also goes to the foundation to fund the program. NextGen conducts eight classes year-round, mostly at local high schools. Students learn a variety of skills, such as the use of
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