New Philly program offers aspiring carpenters on-the-job training

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On a recent weekday, Marcus Posso stood against the railing of a West Philly porch, his dark curls and neon green T-shirt dusted with drywall particles.

He’s a bit tired but in good spirits. It’s another day on the job.

“I love working with my hands,” said Posso on the 200 block of Avondale Street.

The 22-year-old is one of three carpentry fellows working for Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia under a new program the city launched in January. Since then, the trio has bounced between a pair of neighborhood rowhouses the organization is renovating through its Build Team.

Along the way, they’re learning it all — how to make masonry and structural repairs, replace joists and subfloors and install flooring and cabinetry. Insulation and drywall too.

The goal is to put them in a position to be full-time carpenters by providing extensive field experience and the knowledge needed to obtain industry certifications.

“We try to really cover everything in as much detail as we can so that the fellows have hands-on training and have the time to build muscle memory,” said Leslie “Zee” Whitmer, the group’s instructor.

She said it can be difficult to find opportunities to become a well-rounded carpenter, especially for women, who routinely have to fight for a place in the male-dominated industry.

“People often get stuck doing the same thing for years and years and not getting increased skill, which would lead to increased salaries,” Whitmer said.

When he was younger, Posso helped fix up his uncle’s investment properties and make repairs his uncle’s tenants requested. He learned a lot, including that he loved carpentry. But skill-wise he was closer to intermediate than professional.

Posso said the fellowship has taken his abilities to another level. He now feels confident he could be hired by a company and, eventually, set out on his own.

“I always wanted to be a real estate investor like my uncle and actually put affordable housing in places where I came from,” said Posso. “I was always raised around people that didn’t have the proper housing or adequate housing.”

Emma Joyce applied for the fellowship after volunteering with Habitat. Before that, she had applied her skills to disaster relief efforts in the United States and abroad.

Everything she learned was on the fly, dependent on what was needed at a particular job site on a given day. With more formal training, she now wants to pursue carpentry as a career — hopefully in the affordable housing space.

“It really puts you in an environment where you’re learning all the time,” said Joyce, 30. “That makes it really exciting.”

The Philadelphia Energy Authority is partnering with Habit for a total of two years, donating $600,000 to help cover salaries and operating costs.

PEA used funding the city received from the state through the American Rescue Plan. The fellowship program is part of the authority’s workforce development efforts.

“What we realized is there is huge value in having a second training step where folks can work for an employer, get some experience on the ground in the field, doing this actual work,” said president and CEO Emily Schapira.

Schapira said PEA hopes to make the fellowship program a permanent part of the authority’s work.