MOUNT CARMEL — Three young adults are gaining paid construction experience while renovating a courtyard at the Mount Carmel Area Community Center through an eight-week work-based learning program, one of the first projects of the Go Mount Carmel Area revitalization initiative.
The courtyard is being designed as a community gathering space where people can relax, gather and hold events such as weddings. The project retains existing trees at the site, and plans include adding a podium.
Brandon Williams, 19, of Catawissa, is one of the three participants. He said he learned about the opportunity through PA CareerLink after struggling to find a job.
An artist, Williams said the craftsmanship involved in construction appealed to him and gave him an opportunity to try something different.
Williams said participants first excavated and leveled the site before laying gravel and preparing the area for pavers.
“Then we had to lift those 250-pound pavers hand by hand, place them really nice, so then it’s completely level,” Williams said. “And now we’re laying brick, so then it can look all pretty.”
One particularly hot day spent moving pavers made Williams question whether he could continue.
“I was questioning if I could still do this,” Williams said. “And I got to see the final product, and I said to myself, ‘This is something I have to see through.’”
Sandy Winhofer, self-sufficiency services supervisor with Central Susquehanna Opportunities, said participants began with orientation and workplace expectations before moving into hands-on training in tool use, blueprint reading and other construction skills. All three have completed OSHA 10 safety training.
H&P Construction Inc. employees provide hands-on instruction and supervision at the Community Center.
“These projects become their classrooms,” Winhofer said.
She described the program as a way for participants to put their skills to work while creating a visible community asset and making connections to employment.
Participants earn $15 an hour during classroom and hands-on training through the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit’s YES to the Future program, which serves young adults ages 16 to 24 who face barriers to employment and provides career counseling, job training and other support.
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