THERE IS A LOT OF TALK AT THE STATE CAPITOL RIGHT NOW ABOUT NEW YORK'S ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

AND ECONOMISTS AGREE THAT A MAJOR PART OF THAT RECOVERY WILL BE CONNECTING MORE PEOPLE WITH JOBS.

IN THIS STORY WE TELL YOU ABOUT A RECENT PROGRAM GROWING IN NEW YORK THAT'S TRYING TO DO JUST THAT.

IT'S PART OF OUR ONGOING SERIES FOCUSED ON NEW YORK'S WORKFORCE CALLED WORK IN PROGRESS.

TAKE A LOOK.

[AMBIENT SOUNDS OF CONSTRUCTION]] I STARTED A RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, REALLY SMALL, AND AS I WAS GROWING THAT, IT WAS LIKE, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY HARD TO FIND THE HELP.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A BIG ISSUE TO FIND GOOD HELP, BUT TO FIND HELP THAT LOOKED LIKE ME WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.

FOR PATRICK LAFORTUNE, FINDING PEOPLE TO WORK AT HIS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE INDUSTRY, WAS DIFFICULT.

NOW, MAPP INC, THE MULTICRAFT APPRENTICESHIP PREPARATION PROGRAM, IS HELPING TO FILL THE GAP IN SKILLED LABOR, AND DIVERSIFY THE WORKFORCE.

THE PROGRAM STARTED IN ROCHESTER, TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES.

SINCE THEN THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN EXPANDING ACROSS THE STATE.

KEREEM BERRY IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MAPP INC.

I THINK THE REASON WHY IT'S REALLY NEEDED NOW, THE WORKFORCE IS BASICALLY RETIRING AND OR JUST FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, DYING OFF.

SO THERE'S A HUGE GAP THERE AS FAR AS TALENT IS CONCERNED IN THE WORKFORCE.

SO THEY HAVE TO DO RECRUITING BECAUSE PEOPLE NOW DON'T REALLY WANT TO WORK WITH THEIR HANDS.

EVERYONE IS MORE KEYBOARD BASED CRICKETT THOMAS O'DELL IS THE STATEWIDE PREAPPRENTICESHIP COORDINATOR AT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, A STATEWIDE NONPROFIT THAT FOCUSES ON THE GROWTH AND RETENTION OF GOOD JOBS IN NEW YORK, PROVIDING WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION SERVICES.

SHE IS HOPING THESE PROGRAMS CAN MAKE THE TRADES MORE INCLUSIVE.

OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE WITH THIS WHOLE STATEWIDE PEER APPRENTICE PROGRAM IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE OF WORKFORCE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.

MY FOCUS IS ON THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TRADES, BUT APPRENTICESHIPS CAN BE HELD IN HEALTH, MANUFACTURING, THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY WHICH IS EMERGING, ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO NOT ONLY BECOME MORE AWARE OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE WHEN IT COMES TO WORKFORCE, BUT ALSO TO BE A PART OF IT AND TO EARN WHILE YOU LEARN.

WHAT BETTER MODEL?

IN EUROPE, THEY'VE BEEN DOING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS FOR A LONG TIME.

ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE PREAPPRENTICE PROGRAM IS IT CREATES DIRECT ENTRY INTO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADE UNIONS LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD BY PROVIDING PARTICIPANTS WITH THE SKILLS NEEDED TO START AN APPRENTICESHIP.

THE CONCERN IS ALWAYS IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW DO YOU HAVE ARE YOU GOING TO INVOLVE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE OR IS THIS GOING TO AGAIN SKIRT AROUND US, YOU KNOW, AND NOT INCLUDE US.

WE ARE BREAKING DOWN THAT BARRIER OF IT BEING WHO YOU KNEW YOU KNOW TO GET INTO THE UNIONS MIKE LYONS, PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER CAPITAL REGION BUILDING TRADES WANTED TO BRING THE PROGRAM TO ALBANY TO SUPPLY WORKERS FOR SOME MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

ONE OF THEM IS AT THE PORT OF ALBANY WHERE BEACON ISLAND IS BEING TRANSFORMED INTO AN OFFSHORE WIND EQUIPMENT FACILITY.

MAAP WAS BROUGHT TO THE SOUTH END OF ALBANY TO CREATE A PIPELINE FOR THAT SITE.

TO FURTHER CEMENT THEIR PLACE IN THE PROJECT, LYON'S NEGOTIATED A PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT THAT ALLOWS FUNDS TO GO BACK INTO MAAP.

SO ANYBODY, AS A SIGNATORY TO THE PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT, THERE'S A FIVE CENT PER HOUR CONTRIBUTION THAT WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE BUILDING TRADES AND THEN DIRECTLY TO MAAP SO THEY CAN EXPAND, THEY CAN GET MORE PARTICIPANTS, THEY CAN GET MORE RESOURCES TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL.

IN RECENT YEARS, THE TRADES HAVE STRUGGLED WITH RECRUITMENT DUE TO EMPHASIS ON SOME EARNING A COLLEGE DEGREE.

THOMAS O'DELL WANTS TO DISMISS THE MYTH THAT COLLEGE IS THE ONLY WAY TO FIND A GOOD CAREER.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE TOLD THAT COLLEGE IS THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THAT'S NOT TRUE.

YOU CAN BE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL HAVE A FAMILY SUSTAINING WAGES LIVING AND NOT HAVE TO GO TO COLLEGE.

THE PRE-APPRENTICE PROGRAM ALLOWS YOU TO EXPLORE ALL THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAREERS THERE WHEN IT COMES TO CONSTRUCTION TRADES, FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE YOU LIKE BEST.

JOSEMARIE MONTANEZ IS A STUDENT IN THE ALBANY MAPP.

DURING HIGH SCHOOL, I WASN'T A BIG FAN OF GOING TO COLLEGE BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WANTED TO MAJOR IN OR HAVE A DEGREE IN I WANT TO BE AN ELECTRICIAN, SO GOING TO THE ELECTRICAL UNION IS MY PASSION RIGHT NOW.

AFTER THIS PROGRAM IS OVER, I WANT TO CREATE MY OWN BUSINESS, MAINLY IN ELECTRICAL, AND BRING IT OUT TO WHERE I GREW UP, WHICH IS IN THE BRONX, AND PROVIDE MY RESOURCES THAT I'VE LEARNED AND SKILLS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY OVER THERE AND HELP REBUILD.

AND FOR SOME, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN CHANGING CAREERS TO FIND WORK THAT COMPENSATES THEM BETTER, AND HAS FLEXIBILITY.

ELIA JACKSON IS ALSO A STUDENT IN MAPP ALBANY.

I WANT TO BE A MASON.

MY JOB WASN'T PAYING ENOUGH AND I DIDN'T REALLY CARE FOR THE JOBS THAT I WAS DOING.

ANYMORE.

AND I WANTED TO CHANGE I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PAY.

I WAS LIKE, OH, YEAH, YOU GOT ME.

AND THEN THE BENEFITS THAT COME WITH IT IS AWESOME.

NOT ONLY ARE PREAPPRENTICES SETTING UP A FUTURE FOR THEMSELVES, THEY ARE ALSO GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

IN PROJECT PHOENIX, THE FIRST PHASE OF MAPP, STUDENTS LEARN THROUGH HANDS ON EXPERIENCE BY RENOVATING A HOME DONATED BY THE LOCAL LAND BANK SO IT CAN BE GIVEN BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

HOMEOWNERSHIP WILL HELP SPUR ON THE ECONOMY OF THE WHOLE REGION, SAYS BERRY, FROM MAPP.

IF YOU EMPOWER PEOPLE ECONOMICALLY, THAT EMPOWERS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY ECONOMICALLY, BECAUSE, AGAIN, THOSE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO SPEND MONEY WHERE THEY LIVE.

SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD STORES ARE GOING TO BENEFIT.

THE TAX ROLLS IN ALBANY ARE GOING TO BENEFIT BECAUSE NOW THESE SAME PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GO AND PURCHASE HOMES.

THEY NOW HAVE THE SKILLS TO REPAIR THEIR HOMES.

WE TEACH ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE COMMUNITY, SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A THING OF FLIGHT.

THEY'RE GOING TO SEE, WELL, I CAN NOW REPAIR MY HOME, STAY HERE, CLEAN UP AND JUST SHOW A DIFFERENT QUALITY OF LIFE TO EVERYONE ELSE.

AND A THANKS TO PRODUCER CATHERINE RAFFERTY FOR THAT STORY.

THAT REPORT IS PART OF WMHT'S ONGOING SERIES LOOKING AT JOB SEEKING THROUGHOUT LIFE CALLED WORK IN PROGRESS.

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE AT WMT.org/WORKINPROGRESS.

WORK IN PROGRESS IS FUNDED BY WDI THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE.