We also have people already starting to fill up second and third classes, and there's there's only five classes a year, max of 25 students.

And if it gets to the point where we have you know a high high demand, we'll we'll start additional classes and do on different days so we can you know meet that need.

Is there any uh any other industries you're thinking?

Like is what does welding fall into this, or is that the mic off?

Let me sorry.

Does welding or something like that fall under this research of its own?

This is you know, residential home building, and the the fees that we're asking for would come strictly from residential permitting.

Uh so the the house bill was passed in June uh and then signed into law by governor Ivy um shortly thereafter.

So the way that it reads is you know, up to 20 dollars per permit residential permit would go up to the state and then back down through the licensure board for oversight back to this area for us for for funding.

Councilwoman Ingram.

Thank you.

Uh again, thank you for this opportunity to build careers so that students have can have a opportunity, a pathway uh for a career.

My question is you talked about the 90% retention.

Were you talking about the retention rate in terms of completing your program?

So 70% of those that go through the program actually take a career in the construction trade.

Out of that 70%, it's over a 90% retention.

So of those that actually go through and take a job, over 90% of those stay with it.

Okay.

And a follow-up question what is your success rate, you know, for placement after graduating from the program.

I don't know of a student yet that hasn't been offered a job.

Um we haven't locally, we don't have those numbers yet, but from what we've learned from our talks with Huntsville that pretty much everyone is offered a position.

Okay.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Councilman.

Thank you, uh Mr.

Chairman.

Um, one of the things that um I appreciate about this program.

One is the five things we just talking about the HVAC, electrical carpentry, uh, plumbing and roofing, which is all needed and tuition free.

So I just want to commend you all for coming and presenting this.

Um matter of fact, I think right about a month before you came down, we had a gentleman come down and talk about resources for our young people and having the opportunities so they can learn a trade, a skill set to prepare for the future.

And then y'all came a month later.

Um, and I think this just is a great opportunity to show partnership.

I love all the different partnerships that I've seen um that's taking place in Huntsville, and I believe we can do the same thing in Mobile.

So, whatever I could do to support, and I also like that um it's not just for 17, but it's for older people, you know, seasoned people as well that participate in this program who's looking and shift maybe um in their career.

So I commend it.

I don't have any questions.

You answered everything.

Um, and I look forward to figuring out how we can make this work and push it forward to everybody in the City Mobile.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Councilman Runnels.

Thank you uh for coming down to go over this again.

I thought it was important that we shared all this information with uh councilwoman Ingram and Fleming to make sure that everybody was up to speed with it.

I think it's a great product program, great opportunity for us that the experts in residential construction are wanting to train the next generation of experts and uh residential construction.

That's fantastic, and they're taking it on themselves.

Uh with the expanded ability we have to assess uh money to give them a steady stream of income where we can realize a benefit from it in our city.

Um that was created by the state.

So we introduced an ordinance to take advantage of that to go ahead and assess that additional uh fee that they're paying.

But it sounds like we've kind of got to get some details sorted out.

And and I understand that I'm I'm on board with that, and I think they are too making sure we get everything just the way it needs to be.

Their first class is January 8th, and we don't want to extinguish the fire in their belly, or you know, have these 25 students and then the next class, you know, come off empty handed.

I think it's uh now we got it, we got to do something now.

Like I've got to do something last week.

Um, I think there's agreement with the administration as a temporary measure to support this effort to put forward a performance contract that's going to fund this operation until we get the specifics worked out on the ordinance where they're have a revolving long-term funding source.

I I'd like to see that performance contract introduced on our next council agenda.

Because the best case scenario, if it were to be introduced on our next agenda, we could vote on it in two weeks, and then you have to get the disbursement made, all the paperwork, all that stuff done.

So we're probably looking at three weeks best case scenario.

Um, so that would be my ask of the administration is please do what we can to get that contract on our agenda so we can get it approved, and we can get this next generation or this next group off to the races working because we sure sure need it here.

And I've I've paid for some residential construction, and as I talk to contractors, their price is high because they can't find anybody.