For Arianna Murphy, a job in construction means opportunity.
Murphy, who is 23, worked at a warehouse driving a forklift after getting out of prison earlier this year. But she wanted a trade, skills she could master and use both in her personal life and on the job.
“There’s high demand,” she said, “and not a lot of people want to do it, because females especially don’t want to do hard labor. And I love hard labor.”
That’s what brought her to the Nehemiah Project, a construction training program run out of New Direction Church on 38th Street. The initiative helps young people get hands-on experience in construction by working on New Direction’s new church building.
The program is named after a book of the Bible, which follows the Jewish leader Nehemiah as he rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem. Senior pastor Kenneth Sullivan wanted to inspire a similar mission for the east side of Indianapolis.
“It comes out of that idea of us rebuilding infrastructure here in our community,” Sullivan said, “raising the property value through what we do not only as a church, but also with workforce development.”
The program has been around for about three years. This fall, the church got a $302,200 grant to join EmployIndy’s Youth Employment Services program, or YES Indy. That money will allow the church to pay students to attend class.
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Participants get free job training and support through the Youth Employment Services program.
The goal of the program is not just for students to learn a new trade, but to think about their future in a different way and to connect with people who can help them accomplish their goals.
“There are people out here that really care about their future,” said program coordinator Cecil Collins, “despite what they’ve been through and despite what they’ve done.”
By the east side, for the east side
To join the program, participants must be 18-24 years old and face some sort of challenge or barrier to employment. That includes low-income and formerly incarcerated people, as well as parents.
The Nehemiah Project has offered other classes in the past — cosmetology and barbering, for example. But construction is a field that’s in high demand right now, and one where young people can work their way up to higher wages through apprenticeships and additional training.
And, because New Direction is on the east side, Sullivan said the church views the program as not only an investment in the community, but an accessible option for young people from the neighborhood.
“It’s within reach,” Sullivan said. “It’s a way out. It’s attainable.”
This fall, students started the program in a church classroom, where they learned career, leadership and financial planning skills. By the end of the program, students will also earn their basic construction safety certification.
Program coordinator Collins also encourages students to recognize difficult situations and traumas they’ve experienced through conversations and class activities. His hope is that inviting students to reflect on their past will help open up options for their futures.
For Arthur Neely, the real draw of the program isn’t about learning construction. It’s about becoming a kinder, more patient person.
Neely got out of prison earlier this year, and he’s raising three young kids at home. Coming to class and talking about his feelings is a good release from the stress of his life.
“It’s kind of like therapy to me,” Neely said.
From classroom to construction
After completing the classroom portion, students are now moving into the construction experience portion. Students work with contractors at the site of New Direction’s new church building, also on 38th Street.
For Jaivon Crider, this was a welcome change. He’s always liked working with his hands.
Crider, who is 19, recently moved to Indy from Danville, Illinois, for better job opportunities. In his hometown, he was mostly working in warehouses and food service.
When Crider heard about the Nehemiah Project, he decided that it was exactly the type of opportunity he was looking for when he moved.
As part of the program, students rotate between contractors, getting exposed to all different types of trades, such as roofing, drywalling and electric work. Crider is particularly interested in flooring, but is keeping an open mind.
“When you do work, you want to learn as much as you can,” Crider said. “I pick up as I go.”
As for Murphy, she had some construction training when she joined the Nehemiah Project. So while her classmates were in the classroom at the start of the program, she spent some time working with contractors at the church.
With that on her resume, she recently got hired to build fire escapes at Shiel Sexton, a construction company in Indianapolis.
Though she’s leaving the program, she’s doing so with a good job and some experience under her belt. When she looks back at what she’s built in the program — lights she’s wired, walls she helped paint — Murphy feels empowered for what’s next.
“It means an accomplishment,” said Murphy. “I can do something that I’ve never done before.”
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Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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