ATP Celebrates Bring Your...

ATP Celebrates Bring Your Child to Work Day

Edgar Frye kneels beside his two children, a sink basin and tools by their feet. "Hot water is always on the left, cold water is always on the right," explains Frye, a member of the D.C. Housing Authority's Apprenticeship Training Program.

His kids were among the more than a dozen youth who joined their parents - current ATP apprentices - on April 25 as part of National Take Your Child to Work Day.

The day began with the 16 children receiving a gift bag with a tool belt, safety glasses and a toy hard hat.

Next, the apprentices and their instructors led the kids through age-appropriate lessons in carpentry, electrical installation, painting and plumbing, providing hands-on experience in the work-based training bootcamp.

Pre-school aged children learned how to patch a dent in a wall and practiced painting with rollers; elementary aged children helped fix a leaky sink and install a smoke alarm; and middle-school and high-school aged youth took turns using an electrical drill and other tools to hang drywall.

ATP launched in March 2018 as a 6-month program, and in 2022, it expanded to a full year of classroom and on-the-job training. Graduates are better positioned for permanent, full-time positions with DCHA, other District agencies and their contractors.

Applications for the next cohort will open in late 2024. To learn more about ATP, including details on how to apply for the next cohort, email your name, contact information and the program name to [email protected].