As part of our continued coverage of National Apprenticeship Week, the America’s Work Force Union Podcast explored a partnership to connect Native American communities with the building trades. Joining the discussion were Jason Ehlert, President of the North Dakota State Building and Construction Trades Council, and Iman Moore, Native American Career and Technical Education Project (NACTEP) Project Director, who shared insights into their collaborative efforts to foster apprenticeship opportunities for Native American populations.
Ehlert and Moore have worked together for five years, focusing on connecting Native American communities with the trades through the Dakota Prairie Apprenticeship Readiness Program. This initiative, rooted in collaboration with the NACTEP, aims to increase awareness and accessibility of apprenticeship opportunities within the trades. They discussed the program's success in providing essential skills and knowledge to prepare participants for Registered Apprenticeship Programs and sustainable careers.
A vital aspect of the program is building trust within Native American communities, which have historically faced challenges and mistrust of outsiders. Moore emphasized the importance of honesty and open communication, stating that understanding and respecting cultural differences is crucial for success. The program not only offers career pathways, but also aims to uplift communities by providing opportunities for economic prosperity and stability.
This partnership marks the first collaboration between a tribal college and a building trades council in North America, Ehlert said. Despite being in its early stages, NACTEP has already seen success, with participants benefiting from financial literacy, math skills and trade knowledge. The initiative is gaining traction, with efforts to expand its reach across North Dakota's five reservations, supported by local media coverage and community engagement.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about this groundbreaking partnership and its impact on Native American communities.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
