This pilot program in Buffalo trains entry level workers for successful placement in the building trades and skilled trades’ apprenticeship programs. As a pre-apprenticeship program, BTPAP does not attempt to replicate the specialized training that is part of an apprenticeship program. Rather, BTPAP uses a “holistic approach” to basic skills development, including construction related mathematics, job search training, and exposure to various fields of skilled labor and their professional cultures. These fields include cement masons, roofers, plumbers, steamfitters, iron workers, electricians, plasterers and carpenters. Beyond skills enhancement, this program also seeks to instill the basic awareness that construction and skilled trades are viable employment option for minorities, women, and people living in poverty. BTPAP helps build confidence in each program graduate – allowing them to reach new opportunities in the skilled labor market.