In our spotlight on business report tonight, one foundation is working to level the playing field for women of color and veterans to help get them into good paying jobs in the construction industry.

It's called the Block Foundation, which stands for the Black Ladies of Construction.

And as Raven Santana explains, they've just completed a free 12 week construction training program for about two dozen students who are ready to hammer away at a new career.

In an industry long criticized for its lack of diversity, the Black Ladies of Construction, also known as the Block Foundation, is working to change the narrative.

We have a for-profit, but our non-profit started in 2023.

The organization was started to create workforce development opportunities for women and minorities in construction.

For me being a black woman in construction, we don't see that often, and we wanted to make sure that we can create opportunities to bridge the gap for other women and minorities in those spaces.

Founder and CEO, Natasha Davis, is the driving force behind Block, which launched its non-profit arm with the support of an $850,000 NJBuild grant, the New Jersey Builders Utilization Initiative for Labor Diversity.

The grant funds hands-on training certifications, one-on-one career coaching, and job placement support.

We are graduating our third cohort for the program.

We normally bring in about 25 students per cohort.

So we're super excited.

All of the individuals have successfully completed.

It's a 16-week program where they get their certification in construction.

It's a national certification that they can take anywhere in the world, and it allows them to learn how to material handling, learn how to read construction drawings, learn how to use hand tools and power tools, and get them that entry-level experience they need to enter onto the job site.

We got a firsthand look at the current cohort training at a demo site in Clifton, where students are transforming a rundown property into a livable home, gaining real-world experience along the way.

While the program is open to all, Block places a special focus on women, minorities, and veterans.

So our veterans, that's a population that is very dear to us because oftentimes they're overlooked, and they have done so much, particularly those who have served in wartime or have been in, let's say, not great environments overseas.

We want them to be able to come back, come to us, if they have interest in getting into the construction industry, where we can help train them, we can get them placed in jobs, and have a bright future in a career in the construction industry.

Karen Washington knows that struggle all too well.

The Marine Corps veteran now leads veteran recruitment for Block, helping others like herself find purpose and a path forward.

You can do whatever you want.

You know, like, if you wanna get us in construction, if you wanna get into safety, it's a nonprofit organization, you can do it.

If you feel as though, you know, the world is moving around you because maybe you just got out, you know, you know, you're in a re-entry program, you're in a transition program, maybe you just got out the military, you're in the reserves, and you have no job or something like that, and you're trying to look for something to do, like, this is the program for you, and then I'm a veteran, so you can always talk to me.

I have 20, over 20 years in the Marine Corps, so I know what it feels like to be them.

That support was life-changing for Karen Goulon, a veteran-turned-CEO of G&R Construction Group, who says she had a tough time finding resources until she found BLOC.

I would be struggling because I, there's not another organization or program like the BLOC.

I did do a lot of research, and I had not found one.

The combination that the BLOC has between the support, the training, and the structure is amazing.

You know, the veteran gets everything they need in one place.

They don't have to be going to different offices.

From bootstraps to blueprints, the BLOC Foundation is building more than homes.

It's building hope.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Raven Santana.

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Halsey, a neighborhood built on hustle and heart.

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