Los Angeles non-profit partners with NAAEI to bring CAMT training to people struggling to find work.

Students from last fall's inaugural Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians (CAMT) class offered by the Jewish Vocational Service of Los Angeles (JVS) ApartmentWorks™ program knew they would be studying common property maintenance tasks such as drywall repair, basic plumbing and routine appliance fixes, but they probably did not realize the course also featured "soft skills" assistance in the form of help with resumes and job placement and retention.

These extras made JVS an ideal partner to launch ApartmentWorks with the NAA Education Institute (NAAEI). While NAAEI has partnered in the past with education and community-based providers to offer job seekers CAMT training as part of its workforce development initiatives, partnering with a nonprofit with experience in running turnkey, sector-targeted training programs proved to be a natural fit.

"We needed no outside educational partner," says Sarah Levine, NAAEI Director of Workforce Development. "JVS was unique in that it had the capacity to do the entire program internally."
Before launching the new program, JVS and NAAEI spent a year of research and planning during which they identified a need in the communities JVS serves for qualified, motivated apartment maintenance technicians. They then jointly determined what steps to take to establish a CAMT program. The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) was at the table and helped to identify resources for the pilot.

"We hosted several focus groups with NAA members and local residential property management firms and determined that there was a demand," says Jay Soloway, JVS Director of Training and Education. "The program really fit in with our mission, which centers on workforce development."

JVS ultimately decided to offer the training under the umbrella of JVSWorks. JVSWorks includes the non-profit's award-winning sector training programs such as BankWork$™, which prepares students for entry-level banking positions, and HealthWorks™, which trains participants to become state-certified nurse assistants.

Last fall, just over a year after those first discussions, JVS welcomed its first ApartmentWorks CAMT class under the instruction of Jonathan Quach. In addition to classroom studies, students took field trips to apartment communities operated by residential property management companies that have become JVS ApartmentWorks partners. These strategic partnerships, as well as community donations, allowed JVS to offer ApartmentWorks free of charge to eligible applicants.

The first class of 12 students-10 men and two women-included people with backgrounds working as building contractors or in the trades, as well as people with retail experience who were looking to gain a foothold in the residential property management industry.

Several of the students heard about the program through the Employment Development Department, which is a long-time partner of JVS.

Great Personalities

Recruiter Melissa Reilly of Equity Residential met several of the trainees when her company hosted ApartmentWorks students for onsite training. Reilly says she liked what she saw in the students.

"I think they have solid skill sets and great personalities that have been shining through," Reilly says. "The questions they ask, and the initiative and the desire to learn more about the profession is phenomenal. There is absolutely a need for quality service technicians in this industry. It's something we're struggling to find all the time nationwide."

At the end of six intensive weeks of training and after passing a final exam, students received their provisional CAMT.

After the graduation ceremony, students participated in a job fair in which they were interviewed by recruiters from JVS' partnering property management companies with open positions. Ten of the 12 ApartmentWorks CAMT graduates were employed within a week.

Among those students securing industry employment after taking the class is Dekeithrich "D.K." Johnson. A father of five, Johnson had been working temporary jobs for more than a year and had been unemployed for two months when he applied for the ApartmentWorks program.
"In the beginning, it was pretty basic stuff," he says. "The deeper we got into it I saw there were a lot of things I didn't know. It was challenging, and I always enjoy learning something new."

Johnson was hired by Douglas Emmett, an AAGLA member who manages office properties and luxury apartment communities in Los Angeles, the day he graduated from the ApartmentWorks CAMT program. Since starting work for the company, Johnson says his employers have encouraged him to advance his career by taking additional apartment management training while working his apartment maintenance job.

JVS will offer the next ApartmentWorks CAMT course in the spring. It hopes to offer ApartmentWorks courses several times a year and for the CAMT course to take a regular spot in its lineup of JVSWorks training programs.

Levine says she hopes the CAMT course becomes a regular part of JVS' offerings. The residential property management industry has a tremendous need for maintenance technicians, and those with the proper training can embark on a long-term career that offers good pay and benefits.

"We are so thrilled about the results of this first cohort, and NAAEI looks forward to seeing this become a standard program offered by JVS," she says. "We will be there to help them every step of the way."

Evan Henerson is Media Relations Manager, JVS Los Angeles, in Los Angeles.