Driving around New Orleans, Louisiana, on a beautiful Saturday morning you might see something uncommon. Taking a second glance you notice residential construction sites filled with high school students in orange hats. Focused, and learning from peers and seasoned professionals, these teens are a part of the unCommon Construction (uCC) apprenticeship program to give them the technical and soft skills to succeed in every area of the construction industry and in life.
“Workforce development outside of the school building provides real-world, hands-on experience, which is critical for young people. Research shows that youth who are involved in career technical education perform better in their other classes. They’re more likely to graduate on time, and they’re more likely to continue their education after they graduate,” uCC Founder and CEO Aaron Frumin told the Roundtable.
“Being at unCommon really did help me to push out my comfort zone and encourage me to sign up for leader roles because I was second guessing myself, and now … I know that I can do it,” said uCC student apprentice J’Adore Linzsey. Linzsey was the first in her family to attend college in fall 2024 to study interior design, an accomplishment she credits to her time at uCC.
“The problem is not that the construction industry doesn’t have training mechanisms, it’s that they don’t have enough young people who see themselves as part of it. They desperately need an entry-level workforce that has the soft skills and relevant experience. This industry makes up the backbone of the American economy,” said Frumin.
Setting up Students for Success
“We begin by understanding our youth, what their needs are, what their interests are, what their motivations are, and then we recruit them at our school partners who have demonstrated alignment with our model,” says Frumin.
The uCC model for success is divided into three phases: Apply, gain experience and step into the world with confidence.
uCC receives double the applications for slots in their apprenticeship program, which is around 119 roles. When a student enrolls in uCC, mentors and partnered contractors give them the technical, social and soft skills to excel.
Every month, the students receive a performance evaluation with their paychecks called a “hirability scorecard” that shows what soft skills they are mastering and what needs to be strengthened for work in the industry and beyond.
“All of the research points to what employers across industries need, but especially the construction industry, which is an entry-level workforce with those soft skills like working well together and showing up on time,” said Frumin.
uCC’s unique model takes revenue from the build process and reinvests it into opportunities for the students. By paying high school students above minimum wage and turning the revenue from the sale of the homes they build to match their earnings 50 cents on the dollar, they put money toward a scholarship that can be used for education and career opportunities after they graduate. The student may spend several terms with uCC, and by the time graduation comes, they have the critical skills to network, gain and keep employment with support from the uCC program.
Frumin added, “You’re getting ready to graduate, and that’s where we think about how to leverage your first job for your next opportunity. ‘What are your next steps after you graduate? How can we support you?’ We do this by connecting them with continuing education programs and potential employers in our network. We support them in their first year post-high school graduation to make sure no one slips through the cracks.”
Within three months of graduation 82% of students find employment or continuing education programs. The program says 98% of students recommend the program to their peers and 88% say the program gave them the skills and experience to be successful in the future.
UnCommon’s Business Blueprint
“We have a different labor force with our high school students, and we organize our labor force differently to create meaningful learning opportunities so they can earn and learn at the same time. We believe that young people deserve to benefit from the value of their labor,” said Frumin.
“As a result, we have a really strong earned revenue model, so we earn back 70 cents, roughly of every dollar that’s donated back to our program. Because our method of on the job training produces value that is then compensated back to the organization or reinvested in our youth. So we can stretch donations a little bit further and put that money right back into our local economy.”
The unCommon Campus and Steps Toward National Expansion
uCC recently purchased a campus in the heart of New Orleans, which is slated to open in fall 2025.
“The campus is a place where we can operate, gather and grow,” said Frumin. “We’ll grow through the development and implementation of new programs that serve more youth and adult learners by managing the expansion of our impact to new locations nationwide. We recently started taking our first steps a few years ago with a new location in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“The campus gives us a way to expand our model and our methods through hands-on workshops and continuing education classes for both youth and adults. We plan to provide construction credential trainings through our partnership with the Associated Builders and Contractors from our own space,” he added. “It also gives us a space to field inquiries from educators and industry professionals about expanding in markets across the country.”
Sponsorships for the campus capital campaign continue through the end of May 2025, with a vision to expand the program nationwide.
“We’d love for our friends and supporters to drop by our new campus so we can show them what we are all about and share our vision,” Frumin said. “What could be possible if there were unCommon Construction programs all over the country? We can address the critical learning and leadership gaps our youth face while putting them on a path to success and building up America’s infrastructure.”
If you have any questions about unCommon Construction, please contact Pathways to Opportunity Program Director Stephen Allison here.
