State Representative James J. O’Day, D. West Boylston, was the guest speaker at the Worcester YouthBuild Graduation ceremony to honor this year’s graduates. The Worcester YouthBuild Program, operated by Training Resources of America, Inc. (TRA), graduated fifteen students on Thursday afternoon, October 23, 2014, at Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester, MA.

The graduates, ages 17 to 24, include: Jamal Beaudette, Terrence Cameron-Remillard, Marcus Diaz, Tomas Deashawn Ivory, Brittany Johnson, Jacob King, Robert Kuszewski, Patrick Madison, Milagros Martinez, Cynthia Medrano-Bueno, Troy Robinson, Nicholas Shepardson, Loyda Soto-Calderon, Pedro Vazquez-Calderon, and Glen Waller all of Worcester.

“I was humbled to be asked by Program Manager Michael Quigley to speak at the Worcester YouthBuild Graduation Ceremony. Worcester YouthBuild has become an incredible asset to the Worcester Community in that it provides young people with guidance and direction towards success, while simultaneously improving the quality of life in some of Worcester’s most distressed neighborhoods. Through engaging young people in their community, YouthBuild has established life-long partnerships between the local organizations and the next generation of professionals. I am incredibly proud of these young people and their accomplishments,” said Representative O’Day.

Worcester YouthBuild is partially funded through the state budget, which allocates funds to the Massachusetts YouthBuild Coalition under the umbrella of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Representative O’Day has been a staunch advocate for the program since his election in 2007. This year, Representative O’Day and his colleagues in the House of Representatives are gearing up to increase state funding for YouthBuild programs statewide in the Fiscal Year 2016. Representative O’Day said he will work with his Senate colleagues to secure an increase in funding in the final budget to make sure that the successful program is not hampered by fiscal constraints.

Worcester YouthBuild provides comprehensive training to young people ages 16 to 24 that meet low-income guidelines, are not in school, have not received a high school diploma or High School Equivalency, and demonstrate a willingness to work hard for personal and community change.
Students receive instruction in High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) preparation, self-esteem, life, leadership and work readiness skills, community service opportunities, and construction skills training utilizing a community housing rehab or new construction project which helps create quality low-income housing in Worcester. Extensive support services include counseling/ case management, job development/ placement assistance, as well as transition to higher education and follow-up services.

In addition to attaining their High School Equivalency certificates, the youth also earn OSHA, and Home Builder’s Institute Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Training (HBI-PACT) certificates.

Most of all, the program offers opportunities for personal growth and development. As graduate Glen Waller says, “I joined Worcester YouthBuild because I couldn’t find a good job and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life. In the program I learned carpentry skills on the construction site, found a full-time job, have an interview with the Carpenters Union, and I am (scheduled) to attend college in the Spring of 2015. None of this would have happened without YouthBuild."

This year, Worcester YouthBuild partnered with building materials manufacturer Saint-Gobain through the Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation and with support from the Saint-Gobain family of companies and Matthew 25, a private non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide food and housing relief to people in need in the Worcester and Boston areas, to continue a sustainable gut renovation of a two-family home located at 3 Benefit Terrace in the Main South neighborhood of Worcester. The neighborhood where the house is located will improve the transformation of an abandoned eyesore into a neighborhood jewel. The result will provide two units of quality, affordable rental housing to address the needs of low-income families living in central Massachusetts.

According to Michael Quigley, Program Manager, “I am very proud of our YouthBuild graduates who had to overcome many challenges. Despite the obstacles, they attended the program every day and achieved personal, academic and work goals they never imagined would be possible. I am grateful to our partners Saint-Gobain Corporation and Matthew 25 for their support in providing an incredible learning experience for our students.”

Collaborating agency and government representatives, family and friends were on hand to congratulate the graduates as they celebrated their accomplishments.

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