PEPP Spokane
Pre-Employment Preparation Program: a 4 week program (160hrs) that prepares you for an interview with Trade Union Apprenticeships.
PEPP is instructed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. for a four week (20-day) period in order for the students to complete a 160-hour required course. Every student enrolled and attending classes daily and on time will receive a cash stipend at the end of each week. Additionally each student will receive a voucher to purchase work boots or work clothing whichever the student and instructor determine is most needed; each student will also be issued eye and ear protection, hardhat, high visibility attire, gloves and a set of their own tools for which they will be responsible during the class. Upon graduation each student will be given their set of tools once they have entered an Apprenticeship.
PEPP is the ONLY program of its kind in eastern Washington that instructs the MC3 curriculum designed by NABTU (North American Building Trades Unions) for the purpose of those studying to be prepared to enter an Apprenticeship.
The Multi Craft Core Curriculum ( MC3) constitutes 120 hours of the 160 hours of PEPP class instruction. It includes Federal/WA State safety regulations and safety/CPR w/AED. It is taught daily and work continues with individual students who need additional help throughout the entire class especially so with some math portions. Goals are set for each student after an initial math test is given and the student and instructor work diligently to get the student to the goal agreed upon by student. To see an outline of the MC3 Curriculum, click HERE.
Students are provided daily class materials as well as all hand tools needed for building projects including all power tools and any large equipment required. Students study blueprints and work together as a team when undertaking hands-on projects from blueprints to completion of the project. The daily curriculum is instructed in and around the hands-on projects allowing each student to become more familiar with tools. This is done while also including the critically important instruction and testing for the certifications which include:
The PEPP is a very thorough course instructed at a pace in order to get the certifications and the full range of MC3 information completed so graduates are fully prepared to apply for an Apprenticeship in the Building Trades.
PEPP students will spend at least five of their 20 days visiting and interacting with different state registered apprenticeship programs at their facilities in order to better understand what the work of each entails. They will also meet the people with whom they will be requesting interviews upon PEPP graduation.
In addition to the classroom work each class is involved in a hands-on project which varies with each class, but requires students to put what they have learned in the classroom into a real hands-on project working as a construction team to complete it from reading/designing blueprints/designs to determining methods and tools needed to complete each project.
PEPP students will be assisted by PEPP staff with preparing a resume, practicing interview skills and with composing a letter to an Apprenticeship of their choice in order to begin their work on interview preparations following PEPP graduation.
PEPP students will be fully prepared upon graduation to sit for a Joint Apprenticeship & Training Council interview for admission into a Washington State Certified Apprenticeship Program; PEPP staff, working closely with each student, will assist each in making arrangements for such interviews. Every PEPP graduate is guaranteed an interview in a recognized/registered Building Trades Apprenticeship.
PEPP staff provides the students with an intake form known as a Barriers Sheet. This provides staff with information needed to begin work immediately to assist each student in overcoming or at least reducing any barriers that might keep the individual from being able to get to work every day. PEPP staff have established a network of organizations and agencies that will work with PEPP students in overcoming such barriers as lack of a valid WA State Driver’s license, child care needs, housing, and even past due child support via our connection with DSHS Alternative Solutions Program. We have seen members of our student population qualify for this program, and once employed began paying an agreed upon amount of child support that allowed for all parties to be satisfied with the end results and a non-custodial parent to begin again to undertake the responsibility of being a parent who is now employed with a living wage and taking on responsibilities that were often out of reach due to personal/financial situations.
The cost per student to attend the PEPP class is $2500. That cost includes the weekly stipend, clothing and work boots, and costs for written and driving tests for any student needing to get relicensed in addition to the cost of the relicensing organization with which PEPP works to assist each student in learning what is needed to get through the relicensing process. This cost also includes costs associated with assisting students in ensuring they have a working vehicle in order to get to work everyday which sometimes means a new battery or tires, etc to prepare a vehicle for travel.
PEPP works diligently throughout the Spokane community to encourage disenfranchised individuals or those who are working low wage jobs to apply for the PEPP class. We are also working closely with the criminal justice system to assist as many individuals as possible to enroll in PEPP immediately upon reentering the community so that they can be prepared to enter a family- wage apprenticeship position following completion of their PEPP class.
