Job training program helps diverse candidates on paths to careers in construction

More than 90 students from underserved communities recently graduated from the ComEd CONSTRUCT Infrastructure Academy, an 11-week job training program that increases the number of diverse, skilled candidates for construction and related jobs across Chicago and northern Illinois.

Created in 2013, CONSTRUCT helps strengthen job readiness and life skills of qualified, minority candidates and prepares them for industry-required testing. To help ensure candidates weren’t negatively impacted by social-distancing requirements brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, CONSTRUCT shifted from an in-person to a hybrid model, with much of the program’s training completed through virtual platforms.