they follow y meet Tyson Lawson Bay so when you leave call your same NCC number that you going to create today it's going to follow you when you go down the hall to HB it's going to follow you when you go upstairs to electri carpentry all that Lawson Bay is the director of the construction Pathways program located at the University of the District of Columbia when they leave us they're able to go to work in companies and they're getting saluted they're coming in above entry level what makes this HBCU different it has a pathway to the construction trades why wouldn't the HBCU be involved in something like this we right here in the district well kept secret I guess for a while but it's been around um we've been in this building since uh right before the pandemic we are the only really trade school in the district that's totally free so we can keep our students here we can compete with the like of the Lincoln tax and the ABC Metro Washington at no charge no student loans books everything you mentioned the tools all the equipment you see around us uh it's topnotch and they can come here for free one of the classes we looked in on was HVAC Dwayne W took this class and now is certified and working I wish they had this program when I was 18 this this program sharpens skills that I learned when I was younger and it allowed me to improve upon it along with getting the certifications that come with being in this fi the core classes include carpentry maintenance repair and servicing HVAC systems in addition to learning how to use the equipment and getting certified as they prepare students for managing projects coming from this area uh a DC resident Washingtonian being a student of the trade um getting to this point in my career looking at uh what's going on the landscape of my city the trade saved my life and I just want to pull back and reach back and pull the Next Generation and chaperone those young men and women into the trade I think we do a good job around here the training that the students are getting here is uh Beyond none uh you can't put words to it the the success and how proud I am um just getting up in the morning cuz I know I'm changing someone 's life each day that I come in these doors Lawson Bay who has some 40 years of training in the construction trade knows that these opportunities are here and you can't get them anywhere else I'm Charles Robinson [Music]