Northwestern Goes 'Trade School' In Unique Partnership With Evanston
EVANSTON (CBS) -- It's not exactly known as a trade school, but at Northwestern University, a group a Evanston residents are learning about construction while on the job.
It's an attempt to build stronger ties between the school and the community, CBS 2's Derrick Blakley explains in this original report.
For 30-year-old Sean Bagley, what may be the career opportunity of a lifetime was right around the corner.
He said that even though he has lived in Evanston all of his life, it never "really rang a bell" to think that he could work at Northwestern.
Bagley is one of six trainees, all Evanston residents, learning skilled trades like painting and construction, while on the job at Northwestern.
It's a new partnership between the city of Evanston and the university.
"It becomes a good place to live and a good place to work and the two shouldn't be mutually exclusive," said Steve Kendrick, with NU facilities management.
Although new construction and renovation are booming at Northwestern, Evanston's mayor saw a problem: few local residents on the job.
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl said: "Yes, there was a sense that, at least on the construction, that was a hard place to get a job, and that's changed."
The six trainees are part of a one-year, union-backed program, but both the trainees and the university are hoping for a longer relationship.
"If they do have positions opening in the future, in the long run, I'd love to be here permanently," Bagley said.
Sean had been driving a school bus and working at a restaurant.
So a career in the trades would be a big step up.
The program is run with the blessing of Local 681 of the laborers' union.
And it continues next year, with Northwestern hiring six more trainees.
