Travis Robertson
Commercial real estate and investment companies hire young people who complete a six- to eight-week life and soft skills training program for internships and full-time employment
High school graduate Travis Robertson found a rewarding and stable job, a comfortable home, and above all, an optimistic outlook and unwavering confidence in life. All of this was possible after completing a six-week training sequence sponsored by Urban Alliance Baltimore. After acquiring basic core competency skills in preparation for training to perform property management duties in multifamily housing communities, Robertson secured a six-month internship position with Continental Realty Corporation (CRC) and then a full-time position at the company’s Courthouse Square apartment community in Towson. He is one of four Urban Alliance program graduates employed by CRC, a Baltimore-based real estate investment and management company.
“This experience has been life-changing for me,” explains Robertson, who began working at CRC as a maintenance technician last summer. “Urban Alliance cared about me as a professional and a person and thoroughly prepared me for the day-to-day activities expected of me. Meanwhile, CRC has given me an incredible opportunity to do a job that I truly love and am passionate about. It has completely changed my perspective on life and I feel incredibly lucky to have this job.”
Shortly after completing his internship with CRC, Robertson was offered a full-time position and housing in the Baltimore County community where he works. Through its partnership with the Urban Alliance, CRC has provided internships to more than 20 graduates and hired four as full-time employees.
“As a father of a young son, I wanted to find a job that would allow me to provide for my family and be financially stable,” Robertson added. “Urban Alliance Baltimore provided me with the foundation I needed to take the next step and find a long-term career. I was immediately impressed with CRC’s family-oriented environment and commitment to internal advancement. I am incredibly fortunate to have great mentors at Courthouse Square and to have an affordable apartment where I work every day.”
Recruiting professionals for the apartment building industry remains a challenge
With more than 9,000 apartment units across the country, CRC is constantly struggling to recruit and retain talent to support its growing portfolio. With more than 300 full-time employees, CRC hires about 70 people a year, and Crystal Frey, the company’s senior vice president of human resources and shared services, says the company is using every tool available to find team members, especially for positions that are hard to fill.
“Competition for maintenance and technician professions remains strong, driven by a shortage of young people interested in these careers, combined with an increased demand for these skilled workers serving multifamily housing communities, so having an introduction to a great program like Urban Alliance Baltimore that vets, trains and thoroughly prepares talent for immediate hire is a huge boost to our hiring plans,” said Frey, who joined Urban Alliance Baltimore’s advisory board earlier this year.
“Earning a traditional four-year college degree isn’t realistic for everyone, nor is it always the right path for many young people. As workforce and talent strategists, we need to introduce them to a variety of career path options, including trade and technical jobs,” she added. “There are different, faster and less costly ways to gain an education and get a high-paying job, and it’s the responsibility of businesses in every industry to educate people about the options and resources available to them. There is a huge amount of untapped talent in underrepresented populations and alternative talent pools. These groups are the focus of our recruiting efforts.”
“Urban Alliance Baltimore’s overarching goal is to positively impact people’s lives and establish a pipeline of talented people for companies, which aligns with our mission of promoting an inclusive work environment that reflects the community around us,” Frey continues. “We believe in continuing education and training because people need to constantly find ways to improve themselves, learn new skills, and gain different perspectives. CRC will continue to partner with Urban Alliance to find highly trained professionals who are immediately employable and will add value to our company. Together, we can address systemic barriers to economic mobility and connect young people to career opportunities.”
The Urban Alliance’s mission is to build a diverse, next-generation workforce.
Chas Ackley, executive director of Urban Alliance Baltimore, said the organization’s typical six- to eight-week course focuses on essential skills training, core competencies and self-management, highlighting the importance of showing up to work on time, receiving feedback, expectations and emphasizing reliability. Urban Alliance, which has been operating in Baltimore since 2008 and also has locations in Chicago, Detroit and Washington, D.C., provides employers with graduates who have acquired the soft and life skills they then develop into valued and trusted professionals. Urban Alliance Baltimore graduates about 20 students from its property management course each year.
Baltimore Alliance Baltimore has provided paid internships to about 1,000 students in the Baltimore area and training to another 2,000 young people. With a mission to build a “diverse next-generation workforce,” the group works with youth development counselors and teachers to identify high school students suitable for training programs.
“The Urban Alliance partners with talented young people from under-resourced areas to create ongoing opportunities that have the potential to have a profound positive impact on the lives of Maryland’s young people and our state’s economic future,” Ackley said.
Continental Realty Corporation, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland and founded in 1960, is a full-service commercial real estate and investment company focused on the acquisition and operation of retail and multifamily properties. The privately held company owns and manages a diversified portfolio of retail centers across 12 states, comprising more than 8 million square feet of commercial space and more than 9,000 multifamily units, with a portfolio valued at more than $4 billion. For more information, please visit www.crcrealty.com.
