As medical and educational buildings continue to pop up across the Lehigh Valley, St. Luke’s and the Watson Organization are looking to create the future of construction.
According to a press release, the culmination of the partnership, the Watson-Batts School of Construction (WBSC), is launching its first cohort.
The WBSC seeks to “empower members of disadvantaged and minority communities through targeted training programs,” according to the school’s website. Individuals in these groups will have the chance to receive expert training, creating a pipeline of qualified contractors who can competitively bid on and secure local contracts.
This groundbreaking tri-sector partnership between the private sector, nonprofit sector, and government also addresses the significant issue of access to care. Through Community Health Needs Assessments conducted every three years by St. Luke’s, the lack of access for low-income residents has been highlighted as a large concern in the Lehigh Valley.
Dr. Hasshan Batts, Executive Director of Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, says the transformative program will foster economic equity, opening up new pathways for generational wealth for members of the community that have historically been sidelined from those opportunities.
Classes for the program will be held at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Allentown.
Applications for the program are now open, but space is limited. Those interested can apply at schoolofconstruction.org.
