10 Years of Transformative Workforce Partnership, Empowering Hundreds Across Chicagoland

A Legacy of Opportunity and Inclusion in Chicago’s Construction Trades

This year during Construction Inclusion Week, we are celebrating 10 years of partnership with St. Paul Community Development Ministries (SPCDM). This collaboration has opened doors to meaningful careers in the construction trades for hundreds of young men and women across Chicagoland. To mark the occasion, W.E. O’Neil in collaboration with SPCDM has released a video highlighting the partnership and its impact.

A History of Advocacy and Action

W.E. O’Neil’s commitment to workforce development dates back to 1969, when former CEO Art O’Neil helped lead efforts to diversify Chicago’s construction industry. As vice chairman of The Chicago Plan, alongside Mayor Richard J. Daley and Jesse Jackson, Art negotiated across City Hall, churches, and union halls to break down barriers for minorities in the trades. His work earned him recognition from the Chicago Commission on Human Relations in 1976 and laid the foundation for affirmative action committees and training programs that continue to shape the industry.

SPCDM: A Pathway to the Trades

St. Paul Community Development Ministries (SPCDM) Class 2025 Graduation

Founded by Pastor Kevin Anthony Ford in 2000, SPCDM’s Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program offers young men and women in Chicagoland a guided entry into the construction trades. The 12-week program provides industry-recognized certifications, entry-level skills for union apprenticeships, and continued support services. With over 270 graduates and a 95% placement rate, SPCDM has become a cornerstone of workforce development in Chicago’s construction industry.

A chance encounter in 2015 between Pastor Kevin Anthony Ford of SPCDM and then-President John Russell of W.E. O’Neil at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Plumbers Local 130 UA Training Center laid the foundation for a now decade-long collaboration supporting SPCDM’s impactful Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program.

President Damian Eallonardo reflects, “We’ve witnessed firsthand the success of this program. It’s a powerful collaboration—bringing together union-affiliated companies, trade-labor unions, and community members, especially vulnerable youth—to achieve two critical goals: supplying the unions with skilled tradespeople and launching participants into long-term, stable careers.”

W.E. O’Neil’s Enduring Commitment

SPDCM Class 2025 Onsite Tour

One of the ways W.E. O’Neil has supported SPCDM’s Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program is by providing industry professionals to serve as instructors. Over the last four years, Superintendent Jorge Sanchez has led the General Construction Knowledge course, developing a custom curriculum designed to give students a broad understanding of the construction industry. His course covers essential topics such as jobsite safety, blueprint and drawing interpretation, project management fundamentals, and professional conduct on the jobsite.

“With my career, I had a great opportunity, and I think it’s only right for us to give back especially because it’s much needed in this world,” shares Sanchez. “[SPCDM] is in the southside of Chicago. It’s a neighborhood that is predominantly African American and Latino. It’s people that grew up in the same neighborhoods that I grew up. We did not have the same opportunities, and now because of companies like W.E. O’Neil and the unions, those doors are opening.”

In addition to the training Jorge provides, SPCDM prepares students with math, reading, and additional career readiness instruction, all aimed at helping them pass labor union placement exams. Upon completion, graduates are sponsored into a union and begin their careers as apprentices.

W.E. O’Neil further supports the program by recruiting from SPCDM’s pool of graduates who were placed into USDOL Registered Apprenticeship Programs and by facilitating trade partner hiring of SPCDM candidates to help them accumulate work hours toward journeyman or journeywoman status.

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

W.E. O’Neil’s support of SPCDM aligns with its broader mission to develop a diverse, union-based workforce that reflects the hard-working people of Chicagoland. The firm continues to provide capital, training, and mentorship, working closely with Pastor Ford and SPCDM staff to expand the program’s reach.

Graduates now work across nearly every trade, from electricians and HVAC technicians to bricklayers and pipefitters. Many have achieved financial independence, homeownership, and leadership roles in their communities.

“I’m super impressed and proud of these students who kick that adversity right out and say, ‘I want to succeed.’ And they do it,” says Sanchez.

As a 100% employee-owned company, W.E. O’Neil sees this partnership not just as a corporate initiative, but as a cultural imperative. The firm’s legacy of inclusion and its strategic investments in workforce development are helping shape the future of construction in Chicago, one apprentice at a time.

With my career, I had a great opportunity, and I think it’s only right for us to give back, especially because it’s much needed in this world. [SPCDM] is in the southside of Chicago. It’s a neighborhood that is predominantly African American and Latino. It’s people that grew up in the same neighborhoods that I grew up. We did not have the same opportunities, and now because of companies like W.E. O’Neil and the unions, those doors are opening.

_{Jorge Sanchez}

_{W.E. O’Neil Superintendent}