Ironclad Trades Training

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Executive Summary

Ironclad Trades Training is a nonprofit in Georgia that prepares adults for careers in the skilled construction trades, including carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and general construction, through a 16-week hands-on program with job placement support. Our trainees are adults who are unemployed or underemployed, including returning citizens, veterans and people moving out of low-wage work.

The building trades are short of workers, and good jobs go unfilled while many people who want them cannot afford the training or the weeks without pay. A program with a weekly stipend, real tools, a safety focus and a direct line to employers can bridge that gap.

With this grant we will train about 40 adults in Year 1 in two cohorts. We do not promise any graduate a job or a wage. We promise real skills, careful safety training and honest help finding work.

Our Year 1 budget is about $222,000, growing to about $344,000 by Year 5 as we add cohorts, instructors and graduates. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 3 staff in Year 1 (an Executive Director, a Lead Instructor working about half time and a part-time Job Placement Coordinator) and 5 by Year 4.

We are asking the Southern Workforce Opportunity Foundation for $85,000 for the Lead Instructor, participant stipends and tools and materials. Our other income and startup support cover the rest. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this proposal, and we do not promise any result beyond what we describe.

Company Description

Ironclad Trades Training is a nonprofit organization in Georgia. We are a registered charity with a volunteer board of directors, a written conflict-of-interest policy and a yearly budget the board reviews.

Our mission. To open good careers in the skilled trades to adults who want them and have been shut out by cost, record or circumstance.

What we do.
- Run a 16-week training program in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and general construction basics.
- Hold classes four days a week, with 12 weeks of hands-on work in a trades lab and four weeks of job readiness and placement.
- Pay trainees a weekly stipend so they can afford to attend.
- Teach and test the safety certifications that employers ask for.
- Help each graduate prepare a resume, practice interviews and meet employers.
- Follow graduates for a year to support retention.

What we do not do. We do not promise any graduate a job or a wage. Stipends are reviewed by an attorney and our accountant and are not wages. We do not charge trainees. We follow the safety rules of the lab and of our insurer and we confirm every license and apprenticeship requirement with the state.

How we got here. A group of tradespeople, a college instructor and a pastor began teaching evening classes in a donated shop. Trainees finished with new skills and many had trouble finding a first job. We kept simple records of who finished and who was hired. This proposal asks for support to turn evening classes into a steady program with stipends and placement.

Problem & Opportunity

The construction trades offer good, lasting careers and many adults cannot reach them.

Workers are in short supply. Contractors report that they cannot find enough carpenters, electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians, and many will retire in the coming years.

Training costs time and money. A person without a paycheck cannot afford 16 weeks in class, even when tuition is free.

Barriers to entry. Returning citizens, veterans and people with gaps in their work history may not know whom to ask or how to get a first interview.

Uneven preparation. Some training programs teach theory with few tools. Employers want people who are safe and ready to work on day one.

What we hear.
- A foreman says he would hire ten more people tomorrow if they had basic skills and safety training.
- A man says he got out of prison and cannot find work that pays more than minimum wage.
- A veteran says she wants a trade and cannot afford to stop working.
- A contractor says he trained a worker who stayed for twenty years.

We do not claim that a training program can solve every challenge. We believe that skills, a weekly stipend and a direct link to employers can open a real career.

Products & Services

Ironclad Trades Training gives adults real skills, a stipend and a path to a first job in the trades.

How the program works.
1. Recruitment. Applications are rolling, with cohorts starting in January and July. Selection is based on commitment, basic math and reading screening and an interview.
2. Safety first. Every trainee completes safety training and earns the certifications employers ask for before using a power tool.
3. Hands-on training. For 12 weeks, trainees work four days a week in a trades lab on carpentry, electrical, plumbing and HVAC basics, under an instructor.
4. Stipends. Trainees receive a weekly stipend of $75 for each week they attend, to help with transportation and food.
5. Job readiness. In the last four weeks, trainees prepare resumes, practice interviews and visit job sites and employers.
6. Placement. A coordinator introduces graduates to employers and apprenticeship programs and helps with the first weeks on the job.
7. Follow-up. We call graduates at 30, 90 and 365 days.

Instructors. Our instructors are experienced tradespeople who pass a background check, complete our training in teaching adults and are paid for their time.

Access and fairness. The program is free. We welcome returning citizens, veterans and anyone who is ready to work.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Adults ages 18 and older who are unemployed or underemployed, including returning citizens, veterans and people moving from low-wage jobs, who want a career in the skilled trades. Eligibility is based on commitment, readiness and income guidelines our board sets.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every adult who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. In our evening classes we served a full shop and kept a waiting list. Workforce centers, reentry programs and employers told us they know many more people who want to train than we can serve. For Year 1 we plan to train about 40 adults in 2 cohorts. By Year 5, with more cohorts and instructors, we plan to train about 120.

Where trainees come from.
- Workforce centers and career coaches.
- Reentry programs and veterans' groups.
- Churches and community centers.
- Graduates who tell a friend.

Who else benefits. Contractors gain skilled workers. Families gain a stable income. Communities gain a stronger local workforce.

What the numbers mean. Every number here is a person with a new skill. We keep our early counts modest and honest so we can do the work well.

Competitive Landscape

What adults can find today, and how we are different.

1. Community college trades programs. They offer strong instruction, often over a year or more, with tuition and no stipend. We offer a short, paid, direct-to-work option and refer graduates who want more to the colleges.

2. Union and employer apprenticeships. They are excellent and competitive, and entry may require prior experience. We prepare people to apply.

3. Workforce center programs. They offer classes and referrals. Few provide a long, hands-on course with a stipend.

4. Short online or private courses. Some are good and many are costly and offer little hands-on work.

5. On-the-job learning. Valuable, and hard to start without experience.

What makes us different.
- Free to every trainee, with a weekly stipend.
- Twelve weeks of hands-on work in a real lab.
- Safety certifications built into the program.
- A coordinator who introduces graduates to employers.
- Follow-up for a year.

We have spoken with colleges, unions, employers and workforce centers to make sure we are filling a gap and not duplicating services. Their letters of support are in the attachments.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How trainees and employers will find us.

Reaching trainees.
- Workforce centers and career coaches. We will give staff a short referral form and a named contact.
- Reentry programs and veterans' groups. We will give talks and hold open houses.
- Churches and community centers. We will leave flyers and talk with leaders.
- Graduates. We will ask them to bring a friend to an information night.
- A simple website and a phone line with a text option.

Reaching employers and instructors.
- Invite contractors, unions and trade associations to visit the lab, hire graduates and sponsor tool kits.
- Invite experienced tradespeople to teach after an orientation, a background check and training in teaching adults.
- Give partners a short report each quarter with counts of trainees, certifications and hires.

How we decide who joins. We use a simple application, a short math and reading check and an interview. We select by commitment and readiness, and we keep a waiting list when a cohort is full.

What we watch. Applications, attendance, certifications earned, job placements and how long graduates stay employed.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (July and August): Hire the Lead Instructor and Job Placement Coordinator, buy equipment, finalize the stipend agreement, waiver and privacy policy with our attorney and accountant and sign the lab agreement.
- Month 3 (September): Open applications and select the first cohort.
- Months 4 to 7: Run the first 16-week cohort, from safety training to placement.
- Months 8 to 11: Run the second cohort.
- Month 12: Survey trainees and employers, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Training takes place in a trades lab at a partner community college or a donated shop, provided at low cost.

Safety and privacy.
- Every instructor passes a background check and completes training in teaching adults.
- Every trainee completes safety training and wears protective gear, and power tools are used only under supervision.
- We keep an emergency plan, a first aid kit and a posted evacuation route in the lab.
- Stipends are reviewed by an attorney and accountant and are not wages.
- We keep trainee records private, share them only with permission and follow a written policy.

Equipment. We buy about $15,000 of equipment once at the start: hand and power tool sets ($8,000), personal protective equipment for 20 trainees ($2,500), training benches and practice stations ($3,000) and laptops for coursework and job search ($1,500). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as Executive Director. The Lead Instructor works about half time at a full-time pay of $76,000 and leads the hands-on training. A part-time Job Placement Coordinator, paid $30,000, helps trainees find work. We add a part-time instructor in Year 2.

Management & Organization

Terrence Mackey, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting. I came to this work as an electrician who trained apprentices and saw how many capable people never got a first chance. I will complete the safety training we require of our instructors so I understand the program from the inside. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Lead Instructor. The Lead Instructor teaches hands-on skills and leads safety. We will hire an experienced tradesperson with teaching ability. About half of this position is part of our grant request.

Job Placement Coordinator. A part-time position that works with employers and helps trainees with resumes, interviews and the first weeks on the job.

Board of directors. Our volunteer board includes a general contractor, a union representative, a community college instructor, a banker who serves as treasurer, an attorney, a veteran and a graduate. The board meets every other month, approves our budget and reviews our safety plan. No board member is paid, and members with a conflict of interest step out of related decisions.

Advisory partners. A workforce center director, a building trades employer and a reentry program leader give guidance twice a year.

Staffing and pay in this plan: Executive Director, paid $56,000 a year; lead Instructor, paid $76,000 a year; job Placement Coordinator (part-time), paid $30,000 a year; instructor (part-time), paid $30,000 a year.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals, how we will measure them and when we plan to reach them.

Year 1 outcomes (July 2027 through June 2028):
- Train about 40 adults in two cohorts of 20.
- Have at least 80 percent of trainees finish the 16-week program.
- Have at least 85 percent of trainees earn the safety certifications taught in the program.
- Help at least 70 percent of graduates find a job or an apprenticeship in the trades within 90 days.
- Receive positive feedback from at least 85 percent of trainees and employers who answer our short survey.

What we count and how.
- Trainees enrolled, weeks attended and certifications earned, from our records.
- Graduates hired, wages and employers, from follow-up calls with permission.
- Employers who hire again, from our outreach log.
- Trainee and employer feedback, from a short, confidential form.
We report what we find, including what did not work, and use it to improve.

Growth over five years.
- Year 2: About 60 trainees in three cohorts and a second instructor.
- Year 3: About 80 trainees in four cohorts and a second lab.
- Year 4: About 100 trainees at 2 locations and a stronger apprenticeship pipeline.
- Year 5: About 120 trainees at 2 locations and a partnership with a union training center.

Learning along the way. At the end of each quarter, the director and the board review the numbers and decide whether we are on track. If we are behind, we will adjust our outreach, our sites or our schedule before asking for more money.

After the grant. By Year 5, grants make up about 41 percent of our budget, down from about 55 percent in Year 1, as partners and donors give more. We will keep building those relationships every year.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $85,000 from the Southern Workforce Opportunity Foundation for the Lead Instructor, participant stipends and tools and materials, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Lead Instructor salary and benefits, 50 percent of a full-time position, $38,000.
- Other: Participant stipends for 40 participants, 12 weeks at $75 a week, $36,000.
- Supplies: Tools and materials for hands-on training, $11,000 (other funds add $4,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 70% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $222,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $12,000 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $122,000; workforce Development Board Funding $60,000; state Workforce Training Grant $30,000; employer Partners and Donors $10,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $56,000; lead Instructor $76,000; job Placement Coordinator (part-time) $30,000; instructor (part-time) $30,000; participant Stipends about $36,000; tools, Materials and Consumables about $15,000; lab Space Rental about $12,000; certification and Testing Fees about $6,000; job Placement and Employer Outreach about $4,000; administration and Insurance about $10,000; about $5,800 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $25,500 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $8,000 for hand and power tool sets for training stations; $2,500 for personal protective equipment for 20 trainees; $3,000 for training benches and practice stations; $1,500 for laptops for coursework and job search; $2,500 for attorney review of the stipend agreement, waiver and privacy policy; $2,000 for website, flyers and employer materials; $2,500 for instructor certification and background checks; $3,500 for first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($25,500), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $51,800, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $77,500. We start with $10,000 from our founding board and $70,000 in startup support from a community foundation and a building trades employer, $80,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $222,000 in Year 1 to about $344,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $122,000, $151,500, $150,000, $160,500 and $140,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: workforce Development Board Funding from $60,000 to $100,000; state Workforce Training Grant from $30,000 to $70,000; employer Partners and Donors from $10,000 to $34,000. Our surplus is planned at about $12,000 in Year 1, about $14,100 in Year 2, about $14,900 in Year 3, about $16,500 in Year 4 and about $16,800 in Year 5. We run two cohorts in Year 1, three in Year 3 and four in Year 5, with a second instructor from Year 2.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $71,100, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $8,880 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per trainee. In Year 1, our total costs are about $5,320 per trainee served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more trainee served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $2,727 per trainee.

After the grant. Workforce board funding, state training grants and employer partners and donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Graduates share their stories, and contractors and unions can sponsor a trainee or a tool kit by name. We will look for partnerships with employers who need skilled workers and who will hire our graduates.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- An injury in the lab. Required safety training, protective gear, small groups, supervised use of every tool, insurance and a written emergency plan.
- An instructor leaves. We keep a list of trained backup instructors and share lesson plans.
- Trainees who leave before finishing. A coordinator checks in every week and helps with transportation, childcare and other barriers.
- A weak job market. We build relationships with several employers and trades and track hiring each quarter.
- A privacy problem. A written policy, secure systems and training for every staff member and volunteer.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow partner and donor support each year.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: one neighborhood, a handful of trainees and a small team, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Signed letters of support from partner schools, agencies and sites.
- Your site agreements and your insurance certificate.
- Your consent, waiver and privacy policy.
- Your safety plan and background check policy.
- Your program outline and schedule.
- Quotes for equipment and materials.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $122,000 in Year 1, growing to $140,000 in Year 5.
- Workforce Development Board Funding: $60,000 in Year 1, growing to $100,000 in Year 5.
- State Workforce Training Grant: $30,000 in Year 1, growing to $70,000 in Year 5.
- Employer Partners and Donors: $10,000 in Year 1, growing to $34,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive Director $56,000; lead Instructor $76,000; job Placement Coordinator (part-time) $30,000; instructor (part-time) $30,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: participant Stipends $36,000; tools, Materials and Consumables $15,000; lab Space Rental $12,000; certification and Testing Fees $6,000; job Placement and Employer Outreach $4,000; administration and Insurance $10,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $15,000 at the start, then $3,000 to $4,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $25,500, paid once from $80,000 in startup money.
- Adults trained: about 40 in Year 1, growing to about 120 in Year 5. Locations: 1 in Year 1, growing to 2 by Year 4. Each cohort runs 16 weeks.
- About 4% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs