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Students working on a multifamily project for Habitat for Humanity Metro East in outer southeast Portland.

Nonprofit offers construction pathway for Portland-area youth

By Hilary Dorsey
For 30 years, Portland YouthBuilders has helped young people change their lives through education, vocational training, counseling, career development and long-term support.

The mission of Portland YouthBuilders (PYB) is to support young people who are committed to changing their lives to become contributing members of the workforce and community. The organization offers a second chance at success for young people whose experiences with poverty, violence, drugs, hunger and loss have impacted their route to success, according to their website.

PYB’s YouthBuild program offers services to low-income youth ages 17-24 working toward high school completion, while getting exposure to construction or technology. The program is 8-10 months long. YouthBuild students attend classes every day for up to a year while earning a GED or high school diploma and getting hands-on experience in construction or technology.

Rana Uzzaman, executive director of Portland YouthBuilders, said all of the students at Portland YouthBuilders are AmeriCorps members and their time on job sites is counted as volunteer hours. These hours go toward an award that pays for any kind of secondary education classes.

“We have a two-week rotation [in a month] where students are doing academics in their classes,” Uzzaman said.

The other two weeks of the month, the students are on a work site, such as building low-income housing with Habitat for Humanity or working with other partner organizations, Uzzaman said. If a student is within the technology program, they are learning cybersecurity, coding and working with partner organizations like OMSI. The YouthBuild program has 80-100 students annually.

A project Portland YouthBuilders built for Portland Fire and Rescue as a training exercise for their staff to burn down. All photos courtesy of Portland YouthBuilders.

PYB’s Bridge to construction program serves high school graduates between the ages of 18-26 and is dedicated to those who want to go into the skills labor field, Uzzaman said. The program takes eight weeks and helps graduates find their first construction job. The program has about 150 students per year.
Both programs offer case management for students. Each student is assigned a career advocate who helps students map out a career path and provide any support they need. These advocates help the students for at least two years after they complete the program, but often even longer.

“I still speak to students when I was working with them 13 years ago,” Uzzaman said.

Both programs are free and offer a stipend to students. In the YouthBuild program, students can earn up to $500 per month. In the Bridge program, the stipend equates to roughly $15 per hour.

Uzzaman said the number one way youth get involved with Portland YouthBuilders is by word of mouth from students. The nonprofit also does traditional outreach through social media and partners with school districts such as Portland Public Schools, David Douglas School District, Gresham-Barlow School District and Centennial School District.

Sebastian Galvez, a 19-year-old student at Portland YouthBuilders, heard about Portland YouthBuilders from his father, went on the website and emailed one of the advocates about interest in joining. Galvez has been in the YouthBuild program for about six months now. He has worked on projects such as framing walls, building a fence for an apartment project, working with excavators, and taking field trips to different apprenticeships.

Galvez said his experience with Portland YouthBuilders has been amazing. In his traditional high school, he felt the counselors and teachers were not as attentive about him passing his classes or not.

“When I came to PYB, it felt more like a community,” Galvez said. “I felt more involved.”

At PYB, Galvez receives tutoring and one-on-one conversations with teachers.

Galvez said the YouthBuild program is a great program for anyone in his position. He was experiencing homelessness before joining and had to work to provide for his family. With the stipend, he was able to do that.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for anybody in the age range that is able to attend to try to further their knowledge in the career they would like to go in, as well as build a community and feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves,” Galvez said.

After the program, Galvez is considering joining different apprenticeships, possibly with a laborer’s union or an apprenticeship in the carpentry field.

Portland YouthBuilders has weekly information sessions at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at its campus at 4816 S.E. 92nd Ave. in Portland. They also offer phone and virtual sessions, as well as tours. For more information, call 503-286-9350 or email [email protected].