Building a Better Future

“I’ve gotten further in life than where I was before, and that’s what I came here for. It’s a big step forward."

Francis Tuttle Technology Center’s Project BUILD has changed Emmitt Crawford’s life path. 

Project BUILD, a partnership with the Oklahoma Department of CareerTech and the Department of Corrections, provides construction training to people on probation. Recidivism rates for Project BUILD students are low, and they often go on to have successful careers in the construction industry. According to data from Project BUILD, 85 percent of students who completed the program gained employment upon release.

Crawford learned about the program while incarcerated, and after he was released, he immediately joined.

“Before I started coming here, I was making a lot of bad choices,” Crawford shared. “I just reached back into my resources and applied to Francis Tuttle and got back on the right road. I’m headed to higher places.” 

While in the program, Crawford gained skills in general carpentry, framing and drywall installation, construction terminology, and safety. Students also learn life and employability skills, complete CPR and first aid training, and earn a forklift certification. 

Students also practice their skills by crafting various items, such as coffee tables and cornhole boards. Crawford is proud of a bench he built because it is an accomplishment and represents him doing something he had never done before. He has embraced a mindset of learning all he can because “knowledge is power, and anything that I can learn to help me help myself is key.” 

Project BUILD’s Completion Ceremony was held on May 29, and Crawford said that evening was “going to be a big step for me in life.” Next, Crawford plans to work for a construction company. After a few years, he’d like to start his own construction business. 

“I have progressed so much,” Crawford shared. “I’ve gotten further in life than where I was before, and that’s what I came here for. It’s a big step forward. If you want to step forward, make those steps and put the effort in. It will get you there.”