Building Skills Ny
Building Skills NY is a New York City nonprofit that connects residents of underserved communities to free construction trade training, industry-recognized certifications, and direct job placement with a network of more than 150 employer partners across the five boroughs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Building Skills Ny does
Building Skills NY (BSNY) is a not-for-profit workforce development organization headquartered in New York City that connects residents of underserved communities to construction industry training and direct job placement with employer partners. Founded in or around 2018, the organization has facilitated more than 2,500 job placements over its operating history through community-based organization (CBO) referral pipelines and direct employer relationships spanning the five boroughs. The entity is led by Executive Director David Meade, employs a team of 1–10 staff, and operates without any disclosed venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership.
The organization's core offerings include the Construction Career Accelerator (CCA), an advanced skills training program delivering NCCER Core and Electrical Level 1 certifications; a "Core Four Certifications" curriculum covering OSHA 30, Site Safety Training (SST), Supported Scaffold User, and Work Zone Flagger; FDNY Certificates of Fitness preparation (S-60, F-60, G-60, S-92, S-93/S-94); and a free HVAC Technical Skills Training program delivered in collaboration with local community colleges. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is relationship-based, with intake generated through referrals from named CBO partners (Commonpoint, Strive, Urban Upbound, Bronxworks, The Doe Fund, HOPE Program, Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation) and placements sourced from a network of more than 150 employer partners including Premier Construction, Apex Building Group, Fifth Avenue Builders, Bletsas Plumbing & Heating, Glo Electric, and JM3.
BSNY operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded primarily through donations and annual fundraising events, most notably the Best of Building Skills NY gala which raised $200,000 at its October 2025 iteration at National Sawdust in Williamsburg. All training and placement services are fully subsidized at zero cost to participants. The organization reports an 80% placement rate for HVAC program graduates and a 70%+ year-over-year increase in placements in the first half of 2019 versus 2018, with the 500th worker placement milestone reached at an East New York construction site.
Building Skills Ny firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Building Skills Ny
- Legal name
- Building Skills NY
- Website
- https://buildingskillsny.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Building Skills NY is a New York City nonprofit that connects residents of underserved communities to free construction trade training, industry-recognized certifications, and direct job placement with a network of more than 150 employer partners across the five boroughs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Building Skills Ny industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development and Construction Trades Training
- NAICS
- Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement (BPADAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE), Construction (EDABALAF)
Keywords
Where Building Skills Ny is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Building Skills Ny business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Building Skills NY is a not-for-profit organization that operates primarily through charitable donations and an annual fundraiser (Best of Building Skills NY). The organization connects workers from underserved communities to advanced skills training and good-paying jobs at no cost to participants.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Building Skills Ny product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Building Skills NY delivers free construction-skills training programs and job placement services that prepare New Yorkers from underserved communities for careers in the skilled trades. Its programs cover NCCER, OSHA 30, Site Safety Training, FDNY, and HVAC certifications, and graduates are placed directly with NYC construction employer partners who rely on BSNY for a qualified, certified local workforce pipeline.
Product overview
Building Skills NY is a not-for-profit workforce development organization offering a portfolio of construction training programs and job placement services. The core offerings include the Construction Career Accelerator (CCA) for advanced skills training with NCCER certifications, Core Four Certifications Training (OSHA 30, SST, Scaffold, Flagger), FDNY Certificates preparation, and HVAC Technical Skills Training. These programs are complemented by free job placement services connecting graduates with employer partners and ongoing career support. The organization also runs the Worker Stories content program and annual Best of Building Skills NY fundraiser event. All programs are designed to help New Yorkers from underserved communities enter and advance within the construction industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Construction Career Accelerator (CCA)
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 2,500 job placements since 2018
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Building Skills Ny
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Building Skills Ny technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Building Skills Ny partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (CHLDC)corePartnership since 2024 has helped dozens of job seekers earn industry-recognized credentials and land full-time construction jobs. CHLDC's Career and Education Programs Director and YouthBuild IGNITE Director accepted the Workforce Partner Award at the 2025 Best of Building Skills NY event.
- CommonpointcoreCommunity-based organization that partnered with BSNY to deliver a no-cost training course in construction basics with continuation into specialized electrical trade instruction. Isaiah Robles was recruited through a Commonpoint flyer and enrolled in the Construction Career Accelerator program.
- The Doe FundcoreCommunity organization through which Howard Young, previously unemployed and living in a homeless shelter with his son, was referred to Building Skills NY. The Doe Fund connection helped him secure OSHA 30 training and a construction job.
- BronxworkscoreLeading boroughwide community support organization that referred Adalberto Alvarez to Building Skills NY for construction training and job placement in the electrical field.
- StrivecoreInternational leader in job placement, training and support that referred Michael Muir to Building Skills NY and connected Parrish West to the organization.
- Urban UpboundcoreCommunity organization serving public housing residents and other low-income New Yorkers to break cycles of poverty. Referred Miguel Morales to Building Skills NY.
- HOPE ProgramcoreWorkforce development organization through which Latroy Ewell was connected to Building Skills NY, leading to his placement as a roofer.
- Local Community CollegesminorBuilding Skills NY collaborates with local community colleges and fellow workforce development organizations to implement a free technical skills training program in High Efficiency HVAC, addressing the skills gap in the industry.
- LaGuardia Community CollegeminorAdalberto Alvarez was enrolled in an electrical training program at LaGuardia Community College through the support of Building Skills NY.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Building Skills Ny competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing free tuition tech training and career placement for adults from underserved communities. Comparable operating model (free training, employer partnerships, alumni support) but focused on IT rather than construction trades.
- The HOPE Program: NYC-based workforce development nonprofit providing training and job placement across multiple industries to individuals facing barriers to employment. BSNY refers into and receives referrals from HOPE, and the two operate adjacent functions in the NYC workforce ecosystem.
- Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing employment services to people returning from incarceration, with construction and skilled trades among its placement sectors. Operates a similar candidate-pipeline-plus-employer-partnership model in NYC.
- NPower: Nonprofit that delivers free technology training and job placement to military veterans and underserved young adults. Similar nonprofit workforce intermediary structure with strong employer partnerships and alumni support model.
Direct peers
- Helmets to Hardhats: National nonprofit that places transitioning military members into skilled construction trades. Directly comparable to BSNY as a construction-focused workforce development intermediary connecting candidates to employer hiring pipelines, though at national scale and veteran-focused.
- Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW): NYC-based nonprofit that trains and places women in skilled construction and building trades. Closely comparable model — CBO-style referral, free training, certifications, direct employer placement — with similar focus on underrepresented populations entering male-dominated trades.
Broad incumbents
- Year Up: Large national workforce development nonprofit providing training, credentials, and corporate placement to young adults from underserved communities. Operates a similar CBO-employer hybrid model at significantly larger scale across multiple industries.
Others
- JobsFirstNYC: NYC-based funder and intermediary supporting workforce development organizations serving disconnected young adults. Comparable ecosystem position rather than direct competitor — JobsFirstNYC often funds or partners with organizations like BSNY.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Building Skills Ny social profiles
Digital presenceBuilding Skills Ny financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Building Skills Ny leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Building Skills Ny funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Building Skills Ny M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Building Skills Ny
What does Building Skills Ny do?
Building Skills NY delivers free construction-skills training programs and job placement services that prepare New Yorkers from underserved communities for careers in the skilled trades. Its programs cover NCCER, OSHA 30, Site Safety Training, FDNY, and HVAC certifications, and graduates are placed directly with NYC construction employer partners who rely on BSNY for a qualified, certified local workforce pipeline.
Is Building Skills Ny a public or private company?
Building Skills Ny is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Building Skills Ny founded?
Building Skills Ny was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Building Skills Ny based?
Building Skills Ny is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Building Skills Ny make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Fundraising.
Who are Building Skills Ny's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Per Scholas, The HOPE Program, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and NPower. Direct peers are Helmets to Hardhats and Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW). Year Up is listed as a broad incumbent. JobsFirstNYC is listed as an others.
Does Building Skills Ny have an API?
No public API is recorded for Building Skills Ny.
What industry is Building Skills Ny in?
Building Skills Ny's product category is Workforce Development and Construction Trades Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAKAE, Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement, with a secondary code of EDAAAOAE, Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling. Its NAICS code is 611513 and its SIC code is 7361.