The National Center for Craftsmanship (http://www.nccraftsmanship.org/)
recently completed the deconstruction of the old Steele’s Market Center on W.
Mountain Street in Fort Collins. Deconstruction, or the systematic dismantling
and recycling of unwanted buildings, is an emerging part of the green building
industry. The Center uses deconstruction as a training activity that allows youth
and adult students to explore the construction trades in a real-time “learning
laboratory” environment. The Steele’s project is believed to be the first LEED
registered deconstruction project in the country. Over 90% of the building was
recycled.
“Craftspeople across the country are literally a dying breed” says Neil Kaufman,
Executive Director of NCC. “Our community’s trade and craftspeople are
disappearing faster than we can train their replacements. Deconstruction allows
potential future craftspeople to work with the same tools and materials that they
will eventually learn to build with”.
The Center has pioneered the use of deconstruction as an educational tool, the
first program to do so in the country. The majority of students come from the
local Poudre School District and other youth programs such as Turning Point
Youth and Family Services. However, the Steele’s project provided another
unique benefit: the first program in the country to train women transitioning
from Community Corrections back into the general population. The Steele’s
project included five women who were certified as Deconstruct Technicians
completing a 200-hour training program, the most rigorous of its kind in the
world.
Through a State of Colorado Judicial Assistance Grant, up to 24 women will be
trained in deconstruction technology this year. The program includes soft-skills,
resume writing, and job acquisition and placement assistance. “The goal of the
women’s program grant is to place 60% of participants in full-time employment
within 6 months”, says Kaufman. “We’ve achieved 100% placement with the
first group of women trainees in 6 weeks. This is strong evidence that we need to
consider opportunity-based, as opposed to punishment-based interventions for
certain subgroups of our prison population”.
 

Funding is available to reimburse potential employers for their first two months on the job.
According to Kaufman, “we recommend these graduates to the business
community without reservation. They have paid their debt and are ready and
willing to become trusted and productive members of our community”.

For more information please contact:
Neil Kaufman
Executive Director
National Center for Craftsmanship
970-215-4587
Neil@nccraftsmanship.org
 

Diane Castellanos
Employment Specialist
Larimer County Community
Corrections, Women’s Program
970-498-7504
dcastellanos@larimer.org