Work-Based Learning is Key to Growth at UBC's Boxelder Job Corps
Work-based learning (WBL) is the key to a successful launch after Job Corps.
Students who work on these jobs while attending Job Corps earn money while improving their skills and learning what it feels like to actually work in their chosen field. The money they earn can be used toward buying a vehicle and getting a place to live after graduation – critical steps to success.
With work-based learning, students go to work for a local construction contractor while they are still on campus attending Job Corps. WBL placements let pre-apprentices get a feel for the day-to-day expectations of a construction job while improving their skills. Best of all, students earn money toward a vehicle and housing, so they can hit the ground running when they graduate.
Our UBC Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship at Boxelder Job Corps in Nemo, SD (just outside of Rapid City) has a couple of especially great work-based learning partnerships.
Three carpentry pre-apprentices, Lucas, Seth, and Antonio are currently doing WBL with E&K Companies, one of the largest union interior and exterior finish contractors in the United States.
Another longtime partner, HJ Martin & Sons, has hired many of our graduates across the country and provided many WBL opportunities. Boxelder pre-apprentice, Sa’ Rose, actually responded to their call for a hand in Rapid City for two days and she worked so hard that they kept her for the rest of the week!
The value of partnerships like these cannot be overstated.
For UBC Job Corps pre-apprentices, WBL often literally means the difference between being able to start working a union job right away after graduation or having to take a lower-paying job closer to home due to lack of reliable personal transportation. Many UBC Job Corps students come from rural areas, and even in urban areas, many construction projects are not always accessible by public transportation.
UPDATE
The UBC Job Corps would like to congratulate recent Boxelder graduates Lucas, Seth, and Antonio! They recently acquired their first apartment will also continue working for signatory contractor E&K Companies as first-year UBC apprentices.
Discover the Trade That’s Waiting for You!
The UBC Job Corps is your opportunity to discover a career that combines passion with practicality, where every day brings a new challenge and the chance to work hands-on to make a tangible impact.
Through work-based learning and mentorship, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to excel in a field that values creativity, resilience and hard work.
Let us guide you toward a fulfilling career path that not only promises a bright future, but also the satisfaction of building it with your own hands.
