What's New | Mission | What We Do | Staff | History | Links | Contact Us
What's New
AOPP is moving to the Saint Paul Trades and Labor Building!
Saint Paul Trades and Labor Building
411 Main Street
St. Paul, MN 55102
651-222-3787
Questions about the move, or about the program? Please contact Mary Dahlquist at 651-222-3787 or mdahlquist@stpaulunions.orgOur Mission
The mission of AOPP is to:
- empower women, people of color and low-income adults by providing construction trades opportunities through education and advocacy.
- help employers meet their needs for diverse and well-trained workforce.
- perform outreach to unions, contractors, and local community-based organizations to increase worker and employer awareness.
- provide educational opportunities and information about trades careers to high school students.
What We Do for Career Seekers
- Help career seekers to understand the rigors and rewards of the construction industry.
- Educate individuals about the apprenticeship system in Minnesota, including the minimum requirements needed to enter a trades, the variety of careers and wage/benefit breakouts.
- Assist career seekers in researching and choosing a trade.
- Help individuals understand the application process.
- Provide career path follow-up and support referrals.
- Assist with preparation for the apprenticeship committee or job interview
- Alert career seekers to the local community-based organizations that produce pre-apprentice trainings.
- Outreach to youth, guidance counselors, parents and guardians regarding the variety of rewarding trades career opportunities.
AOPP History
The mission of the Northwest Area Foundation is to help communities reduce poverty. In 2005 the Foundation selected a group of representative from the City of St. Paul, Saint Paul City Council, Ramsey County, St. Paul Building Trades, The YWCA of St. Paul, Saint Paul NAACP, and St. Paul College to attend of learning tour of the Apprentice Opportunity Project operating in Seattle Washington.
Representatives discovered that the Seattle AOP had helped over 1,000 people in apprenticeship and trades-related jobs, at an average wage of $14.50 per hour (plus benefits) and that 65% of the placements were people of color and 40% were women. Impressed with these program outcomes, the coalition began to make steps to replicate this system in St. Paul.
The St. Paul City Council passed the AOPP Resolution #06-304 in 2006 that set a 15% apprentice utilization goal for building projects funded by the City of St. Paul for amounts over $50,000. The AOPP affirmatively advocates on behalf of women , minorities and low-income adults, therefore the goal 15% of total work hours be performed by apprentices, with 6% of these apprentices to be women and 11% be people of color. Full funding for the first year of the project was secured, the YWCA was named as fiscal agent, staff was hired and offices opened at the Martin Luther King Multi-service Center in September of 2006.
AOPP Funders are:
The Northwest Area Foundation
The Bigelow Foundation
The St. Paul Foundation
Links to More Information
Apprenticeship Coordinator's website
www.constructioncareers.org
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Apprenticeship Division
www.doli.state.mn.us/appr.html
Federal Bureau of Apprenticeship Training
www.doleta.gov/individ/apprent.asp
Contact Us
Mary Dahlquist, Program Manager
Saint Paul Trades and Labor Building
411 Main Street
St. Paul, MN 55102
651-222-3787