A Mission to Revitalize Detroit Neighborhoods with Apprenticeship

Detroit is rebuilding, while its population is growing, and many community organizations have been working together to create a better future for residents and career seekers. Detroit Home Builders has been at the forefront and is committed to revitalizing Detroit's neighborhoods by building a brighter future for the community. As a licensed residential builder, the company offers comprehensive construction services, from innovative design to flawless execution, delivering top-notch performance at competitive prices.

Beyond construction, the Detroit Home Builders’ mission is to provide training and job opportunities to the next generation of construction leaders. The company creates opportunities for individuals through its construction projects and apprenticeship programs. Contributing to the revitalization of Detroit, one neighborhood at a time. 

AnThony Legins, President of Detroit Home Builders, found himself having significantly more downtime during the pandemic. As an active creator, he obtained the master rights to content and developed ‘Roofing 101: A Complete Guide to Roofing' and 'Power Tools, Hand Tools and How to Use Them,' amongst other related works. After reconnecting with his business partner, Steven Legardy and Delrico Sutton, Executive Program Consultant at Detroit Home Builders, they came up with the idea to create a Construction Apprenticeship program, but didn’t know how to begin.

This is when Detroit Home Builders first connected with the Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN). In May 2022, Legins started a Construction Craft Laborer Registered Apprenticeship Program. “Our apprenticeship trains visionaries in the present to be the builders of sustainable communities in the future,” expressed Legins. 

WIN provided training on the fundamentals of a U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), including best practices, industry standards, and the rules and regulations of the USDOL Office of Apprenticeship. Working with Legins to build the RAP, WIN certified their Construction Craft Laborer RAP on behalf of Detroit Home Builders in July 2022 and began managing the program as part of the WIN Apprenticeship Intermediary Program. 

After a year of challenges to identify the right talent, Legins, Legardy and Sutton decided to enhance the RAP program to address the needs of the evolving job market. Since their re-launch in December 2023, their program and impact in Michigan have experienced remarkable growth by hiring apprentices who work closely with Detroit Home Builder’s journeyworkers, a 1:1 training ratio.

At the same time, Detroit Home Builders was partnering with Detroit Employer Solutions Corporation (DESC)/Detroit at Work, an American Job Center, and Michigan Works! Agency, connecting Detroit employers and job seekers with the resources they need.

"We provide employers with talent support and resources to streamline the apprenticeship process, while also supporting job seekers to find long-term career success and apprenticeship opportunities," said Lisa Beard, Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning Consultant at DESC.

By partnering with WIN and DESC, Detroit Home Builders created their first RAP and then began forming their Construction Craft Laborer Pre-Apprenticeship program. By developing a pre-apprenticeship that leads to a RAP, Detroit Home Builders is meeting job seekers where they are, while also filling the talent pipeline gap for construction and skill trades careers in Detroit. Although they worked with other programs and researched content from other providers, Legins still found these materials lacking the core skills needed in their apprentices. They decided the best thing to do was to create their own training materials to fit their apprenticeship needs. Utilizing Legins’ previously published textbooks as the source material, they created in-house textbooks to train their apprentices, which means they are now providing apprentices with on-the-job training and related technical instruction materials.

Combining this with the Detroit Home Builder’s USDOL-approved Construction Craft Laborer Training program as a guideline, they are also providing hands-on property maintenance training in the curriculum, thanks to the support of Elvis Property Management, one of their trusted employer partners. This approach ensures nothing is lacking from their RAP, while providing the highest level of on-the-job training for their employees.

Starting with a 'Roofing Techniques and Applications' textbook, Legins saw immense potential, which led to create four (4) additional textbooks that completed the core of their training. Once the RAP was established, in 2024, WIN connected Detroit Home Builders to the State of Michigan Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) department to certify their Construction Craft Laborer Pre-Apprenticeship Program. LEO endorses high-quality Apprenticeship Readiness programs preparing participants to enter RAPs through the Michigan Apprenticeship Readiness Certificate (MARC) Program. The Detroit Home Builders Pre-Apprenticeship Program is designed to prepare students for success in the skilled trades. Their curriculum is a turnkey solution for training programs, educational institutions, and workforce development organizations.

Due to Legins’, Legardy's and Sutton’s forward-thinking approach, Detroit Home Builders is also an active partner with the Department of Defense under the SkillsBridge program, working to train active-duty military personnel in their last 180 days of service as they transition to civilian life. In addition, Henry Ford College is adding the Detroit Home Builders Pre-Apprenticeship program as part of its non-accredited certificate programs.

"We are excited about this opportunity because it will open our training to Wayne County residents, not just Detroit. This will offer our pre-apprentices an opportunity to earn a college certificate and pathway into the trade programs offered by the college," expressed Legins. “We also recently expanded our program to Flint and are forming our first cohort with a new partner, Renewal Under Growth Inc., who is the authorized training provider for our new curriculum.”

Through the invaluable support and partnership of WIN, Detroit Home Builders has been able to build and expand both their Registered Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship programs, creating clear and sustainable pathways into the skilled trades across Southeast Michigan.

"Our Registered Apprenticeship Program would not be possible without the help and support of WIN. We consider WIN part of the Detroit Home Builders family!" said Legins.

WIN's guidance, resources, and connections have been instrumental in helping Detroit Home Builders bring their vision to life, from initial program development to statewide certification and ongoing expansion. Detroit Home Builders is not only revitalizing Detroit’s neighborhoods but also empowering individuals with the skills and opportunities needed to shape the future of the Michigan workforce.

To learn more about the Detroit Home Builders pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs, visit 313builders.com. If you're an employer looking to build your own registered apprenticeship program visit miapprenticeship.org or connect with WIN to learn more. 

By Amanda Bauerschmidt
Project Manager, WIN | Team Lead, Advance Michigan Center for Apprenticeship Innovation (AMCAI)