MPR: ‘A game changer’: This Minneapolis technical school brings people out of poverty
Summit Academy OIC, a job training center in north Minneapolis, bustled with activity on a sunny Tuesday. Inside, students sat in classrooms learning how to read blueprints and cut wood for special projects. Outside, aspiring carpenters built frames for homes in a large garage on campus, with electrical students wiring lights in a nearby building.
Modern and compact, its unassuming exterior belies its power: it’s one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation.
“Summit has been a part of building just about all the stadiums in the Twin Cities,” said Leroy West, president and CEO of Summit Academy.
There are several certification programs here, like a typical trade school. Summit offers courses for careers in construction, health care and IT, as well as a GED preparation program. A new financial services program launches on March 25.
West said their focus is on training people who are unemployed and underemployed, and providing them with skills to make a living wage. Many students are living below the poverty line before they come to school: The average household income of enrolled students is under $21,000.
“At Summit, our mantra, we believe the best social service program in the world is a career,” West said.
