July 2026
Celebrating Our Newest Graduates:
Building Careers, One Trade at a Time
This has been a season of celebration at Building Value, as we’ve watched four graduates complete the Building Value Construction Training Program — and it just so happens that all four share the same trade: carpentry.
We kicked things off in April, just in time for National Apprenticeship Week, when we had the honor of celebrating Jerran Laney‘s graduation. Standing beside Jerran were two of his biggest supporters: his mom and dad, both proudly there to cheer him on as he reached this important milestone. Jerran’s father is a skilled tradesman himself, which made the celebration even more meaningful — and with his father preparing for retirement, it felt like a true full-circle moment: one generation that built with its hands passing the torch to the next. It’s a powerful reminder that the trades are both a career path and a legacy that can be shared from parent to child.
In June, we celebrated Marcus Barksdale and Ve’Aaju Smith, who completed the program with their sights set on carpentry as well. Both leave with something most people never get: a bone-deep understanding of how buildings actually work, built from the ground up through deconstruction. Through taking structures apart piece by piece — removing fixtures, framing, flooring, doors, and more — they didn’t just learn how to tear things down. They learned how everything is put together, and why. That’s the foundation of a great carpenter, and it’s exactly what they’re taking with them into the field.
Now, in July, we’re proud to congratulate Shi-Ann Easton on her graduation as well. Shi-Ann worked hard every day to build real skills and a real future in construction, choosing carpentry as her trade just like the graduates before her. We couldn’t be prouder to see her hard work pay off — and we’ve got even more good news brewing: Shi-Ann will be placed with a job soon, so stay tuned for more from her!
This is what our program is all about: giving people the training, support, and connections they need to build a career, not just a job. To Jerran, Marcus, Ve’Aaju, Shi-Ann, and everyone who supported them along the way — thank you, and congratulations!
From left to right: Dave Watkins (Crew Supervisor), Tay Walker (Driver/Crew Supervisor), Terry Brueneman (Deconstruction Manager), David Daniels (Workforce Development Manager), Marcus Barksdale (Program Graduate), Ve'Aaju Smith (Program Graduate), Steve Foster (Crew Supervisor), Demetrius Wilson (Program Graduate). | Photo by Elijah McKenzie
Know someone ready for a fresh start in the trades? The Building Value Construction Training Program offers up to six months of paid training and helps graduates land full-time jobs with benefits.
Giving Thanks to the Merus Foundation
While most of our graduates go on to pursue careers in the trades, we think it’s important to acknowledge the support we’ve gotten throughout the years that made it all possible.
Specifically, we’d like to share that Building Value has been awarded a generous grant from the Merus Foundation in 2026. This partnership directly supports our mission of building the construction industry workforce, with a special focus on helping women break into commercial construction careers and find a real pathway to the middle class through the skilled trades.
The need for this work is real: nationally, women make up only a small fraction of the skilled trades workforce. At Building Value, we’re proud that 18% of our Construction Training Program participants are women–more than four times the national industry average. Over the past year, 61 people enrolled in our program, 32 graduated, and 32 stepped directly into long-term construction careers.
“I never knew the difference between a screwdriver and a wrench, so I had to ask questions because I didn’t know anything. And I wanted a new start, so [Building Value] gave me that.”
“Building Value is a program that can set you up for life. If I was to tell a friend and recommend a program, I would tell them to just take my advice.”Grants like the one from Merus Foundation make stories like these possible. We’re endlessly grateful to the staff and board at Merus for investing in a future where the trades are open to everyone.
Do you want your organization or business to become a sustaining supporter of Building Value? When you give to Building Value, you’re not just supporting a program; you’re investing in people who are ready to work, ready to learn, and ready to build their futures.
Become a Sustaining Giver
