Ninety-five graduates. Six classes. One life‑changing program.
For the past five years, OUC and many dedicated OUC employees have played a key role in helping nearly 100 graduates of the iBuild Central Florida pre‑apprenticeship program begin their journey toward high‑paying careers in the building trades. Thanks to OUC’s partnership with iBuild – a nonprofit focused on connecting industry leaders, educators, and the next generation of skilled workers – participants complete the program at no cost.
Local elected officials along with leaders from iBuild and OUC join in celebrating 24 graduates of the pre-apprenticeship program.
Through this partnership, OUC serves as a sponsor of the pre‑apprenticeship program, helping address a critical need for both students and employers in Central Florida’s construction industry.
During the five‑month program, the 24 students in OUC’s sixth class gained essential employer-ready skills, including job site safety, hand‑tool mastery, reading construction drawings, and effective communication. Graduates also earned two National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certificates, as well as Occupational Safety and Health Administration and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certifications.
“It is such an honor to play a role in the success of these graduates,” said Linda Ferrone, OUC’s Chief Customer & Marketing Officer. “I’m a firm believer in leaving our community better than we found it, and at OUC, being involved with this program is one of the ways we get to do just that.”
Chief Customer & Marketing Officer Linda Ferrone delivers the keynote address to graduates during a ceremony at the Grand Avenue Neighborhood Center.
For OUC, the pre‑apprenticeship program is continuing to deliver meaningful outcomes: three graduates across six sponsored classes have joined the utility, including one from the current class hired as a Water Distribution Apprentice Water Technician. As the building and trades industry anticipates a need for 456,000 additional workers nationally in 2027, these graduates — more than a quarter of the current cohort with job offers already in hand — are entering the workforce well‑positioned for success.
“We [iBuild, OUC and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Central Florida (ABC)] had a vision for what this program could be, and to have 24 new graduates is something pretty incredible,” said Debbie Rodriguez, President of iBuild, Owner and CEO of Competitive Edge Partners and Consulting, and chair of ABC Central Florida. “Five years ago, when we started this program, we had to beg and plead for students. As word has gotten out about the positive results, we now have a waiting list.”
The graduation was attended by family members of the 24 students, Orlando District 5 Commissioner Shan Rose, Orange County District 6 Commissioner Mike Scott, as well as business leaders representing organizations who support the program, including ABC Central Florida, Austin Commercial, Balfour Beaty, CES DACG Construction, CEP, DeWalt, Garney Construction, Hensel Phelps and Mack Contracting. Graduates, who ranged from high school students to adults seeking new opportunities, each received a DeWalt professional cordless drill and tool bag in addition to their NCCER certifications.
Orange County District 6 Commissioner Mike Scott (L) and City of Orlando District 5 Commissioner Shan Rose (R) congratulate program graduates.
“This program is a journey realized, a dream in the making,” said Mike Scott, Orange County Commissioner for District 6. “It’s incredible to have a community, an ecosystem like this program that carries students forward in their lives, and it’s so gratifying to see their success.”
