KEY TAKEAWAYS: unCommon Construction plans to launch a paid construction apprenticeship program for Baton Rouge high school students. Participants would earn wages, school credit and scholarship funding while gaining hands-on construction experience. The initiative is supported by grants from the Louisiana Blue Foundation and Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation. The nonprofit has created about 650 apprenticeships since 2015, with all program graduates earning high school diplomas.   New Orleans-based nonprofit unCommon Construction is working to launch a paid construction apprenticeship program for Baton Rouge high school students, supported by grants from the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation and the Louisiana Blue Foundation. The initiative aims to create paid, work-based learning opportunities for students ages 16 to 20 while building partnerships with local schools, employers and workforce organizations. The organization said the program would allow participants to earn hourly wages, school credit and scholarship funding while gaining hands-on construction experience. Under the unCommon Apprenticeship model, students work alongside industry professionals to build homes and complete construction projects. Revenue generated from those projects is used to match apprentices’ earnings with an “Equity Award” scholarship that can be applied toward college, industry certifications or job-related tools. The nonprofit said the expansion is intended to address workforce development needs in the Baton Rouge area, where some high schools have graduation rates as low as 63% and many young adults are neither employed nor enrolled in school. “This effort is about creating a real pathway for young people who are ready to work and learn,” Aaron Frumin, founder and CEO of unCommon Construction, said in a statement. “We want students in Baton Rouge to have the chance to gain experience, earn income and see a future for themselves in a strong career.” Founded in 2015, unCommon Construction said every apprentice who has completed its program has graduated from high school. The organization also reported that about 95% of its New Orleans apprentices either enrolled in continuing education or secured employment within three months of graduating. The Baton Rouge initiative is supported in part by the Louisiana Blue Foundation, which funds programs focused on improving health and well-being by expanding economic opportunity. “Opportunities like this matter because they help connect young people to real pathways forward,” Michael Tipton, president of the Louisiana Blue Foundation, said in a statement. “By supporting partners like unCommon Construction, we’re helping create more ways for students in Baton Rouge to gain experience, build skills and move toward stable, meaningful work.” The Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation also is providing funding to help establish the program as part of its efforts to expand workforce opportunities across the Greater Baton Rouge region. “A vital economy is one that includes strategies to increase workforce pathways, build wealth, and stimulate opportunities for economic growth,” David Beach, president and CEO of the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation, said in a statement. “unCommon Construction’s impact in New Orleans has opened doors for hundreds of young people who face barriers to high-wage employment and we want to bring those opportunities to disinvested areas such as North Baton Rouge.” The nonprofit said it will continue working with local education and workforce partners to develop the program before launching operations in Baton Rouge. UnCommon Construction currently operates programs in New Orleans and the Twin Cities. Since its founding, the organization has created approximately 650 apprenticeship positions, with participants earning more than $800,000 in wages and scholarship awards. ...read more read less