WS Chronicle

Skilled trades like carpenters, electricians and plumbers have always been in high demand, but in recent years we’ve seen that need grow tremendously. Due to the need to replace retired workers who leave the occupations permanently, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, on average construction is projected to grow faster than all occupations from 2023 to 2033. About 663,500 openings are projected each year.  

Since 2020, The Do School has helped local men and women from underserved communities learn the skills they need to help fill some of those openings, and more importantly, help improve their economic mobility.  

Winston-Salem native, Jerry Anderson, said he was inspired to start The Do School after seeing the results from a study conducted by Winston-Salem State University’s Center for the Study of Economic Mobility (CSEM). The CSEM was launched in 2017 thanks to a grant from Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Center for Advancing Opportunity, for the sole purpose of improving economic mobility in communities that have traditional lacked opportunities. 

Anderson said the study showed Forsyth County ranked near the bottom when it came to economic mobility, and he felt like he had to do something. “In that study, out of roughly 5,000 counties in the United States, Forsyth County ranked third from the bottom for economic mobility,” Anderson explained.  

“When you think of all the affluence and wealth that is here, you don’t think about Forsyth County being poor. So I started studying and researching to find out why we ranked so low for economic mobility. In addition to the lasting effects of Jim Crow and systemic racism, everything I read said the reason Forsyth County ranked so low for economic mobility was that those in unserved communities don’t have skill sets,” Anderson continued. “I’m from Winston-Salem and I didn’t want to live the rest of my life in a place that was like that, and I wanted to know what I could do about it.”  

After doing more research, Anderson decided construction was the way to go. The median annual wage for construction workers is around $55,700, nearly $8,000 more than the median annual wage for all occupations. “You can start in construction and do really well. In some instances, better than people who have four-year college degrees, and the learning curve is really not that steep,” said Anderson when discussing the start of The Do School. From there, Anderson and his team started laying the groundwork for the program.  

For 20 to 30 weeks while working alongside professionals, students learn every aspect of construction, from drywall to plumbing. Rehab and construction are led by Jake Morgan, site supervisor, who has 17 years of constructions experience and managed his own construction business for over a decade. During the program, students also learn life and job skills. 

“I thought it would be a great idea to buy some of the houses that need work and rehab them and use it as a live learning lab for the students,” Anderson said. “Not only can we rehab houses and train people, but we can also make them available for first-time homeowners. I just thought it was a win-win.” 

With support from The Winston-Salem Foundation and Piedmont Federal Bank, Anderson was able to kickstart the pilot program with a loan to cover the cost of purchasing and renovating a home in the Boston-Thurmond Neighborhood, the neighborhood Anderson grew up in. After the first home was complete and sold, The Do School used the proceeds to purchase another home and repeat the process. Now, students and volunteers are working on another home located on Motor Road. To help identify prospects for the program, last year The Do School partnered with The Winston-Salem Rescue Mission.  

“It’s a circle and it begins with individuals who have come from backgrounds where they aren’t succeeding in life. The second part is the renovation of the house, and the next part is for them to be able to get employment,” Anderson said.  

For more information on the The Do School, visit https://thedo-school.org/.