MA The Maintenance Academy Maintenance 215 · Black Boots Initiative · shared with Foundational Fundamentals

General construction

Comprehensive Construction Skills

24 weeks · 40 lessons · 10 section tests · 11 written questions · final exam · 14 hands-on skills

This 24-week course gives you practical skills and knowledge for a career in construction. You will work through seven trades, with safety and soft skills running through every week, and it's reviewed by licensed and experienced tradespeople.

What you will be able to do

  • Frame walls, floors and roofs; hang and finish drywall; install trim, cabinets and stairs to code.
  • Understand and safely work on electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems at a helper's level, and know where licensed work begins.
  • Mix mortar, lay brick and block, and repoint historic brick correctly.
  • Prepare and paint interiors and exteriors, lead-safe.
  • Install and repair shingle and flat roofs, flashing and gutters, with fall protection.
  • Work safely, communicate, solve problems, and be a dependable member of a crew.

How you learn

  • Lessons and video demonstrations from working contractors, and live classes.
  • Check questions in each lesson, a test for each trade, and a final exam (80% to pass).
  • Hands-on skills signed off by an instructor on real projects and listed on your certificate.
  • A final project in the trade you choose.

Who it is for

Anyone ready to start a trade. The Black Boots Initiative was built first for Black Americans, and it also serves other people of color, low-income residents, people whose skills need updating, veterans, and returning citizens through our Second Chance program.

A note on credentials

This course is not accredited by NCCER or OSHA and does not issue their credentials or trade licenses. For the trades that need licenses, continue with the Academy's full Electrical, HVAC and Plumbing courses and an apprenticeship.

Course outline

  1. Week 1

    Introduction to Construction

    The course, the construction industry, and safety fundamentals.

    1. Course introduction Video 20 min
    2. The construction industry Video 25 min
    3. Construction safety fundamentals Video 30 min
    4. Section test (4 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  2. Weeks 2-6

    Carpentry

    Tools, measuring, cutting and joining; framing, roofing and exterior finish; interior finish; and safety.

    1. Carpentry tools and equipment Video 30 min
    2. Basic woodworking: measuring, cutting and joining Video 30 min
    3. Framing, roofing and exterior finishing Video 40 min
    4. Interior finishing: drywall, trim, cabinets and stairs Video 40 min
    5. Carpentry safety procedures Video 25 min
    6. Section test (8 questions)
    7. Written answers (2 questions)
  3. Weeks 7-9

    Electrical

    Electrical concepts and safety, wiring methods, troubleshooting and installing devices.

    1. Basic electrical concepts Video 30 min
    2. Electrical safety: lockout/tagout and PPE Video 30 min
    3. Wiring techniques for homes and businesses Video 35 min
    4. Troubleshooting common electrical problems Video 25 min
    5. Installing lights, switches and outlets Video 30 min
    6. Section test (6 questions)
    7. Written answers (1 question)
  4. Weeks 10-12

    Plumbing

    Plumbing concepts and safety, installing systems, repair, and drainage and waste.

    1. Basic plumbing concepts Video 30 min
    2. Plumbing safety procedures Video 25 min
    3. Installing plumbing systems Video 35 min
    4. Plumbing repair and maintenance Video 30 min
    5. Drainage and waste disposal systems Video 30 min
    6. Section test (6 questions)
    7. Written answers (1 question)
  5. Weeks 13-15

    HVAC

    HVAC systems and principles, installation and maintenance, troubleshooting, and efficiency.

    1. HVAC equipment and systems Video 30 min
    2. Heating, cooling and ventilation principles Video 30 min
    3. HVAC installation and maintenance Video 30 min
    4. Troubleshooting common HVAC problems Video 30 min
    5. Energy efficiency and sustainability in HVAC Video 30 min
    6. Section test (6 questions)
    7. Written answers (1 question)
  6. Weeks 16-18

    Masonry

    Tools, brick and block, mortar, walls and chimneys, safety, and restoration.

    1. Masonry tools and equipment Video 25 min
    2. Laying brick and block and mixing mortar Video 35 min
    3. Building walls, chimneys and other structures Video 35 min
    4. Masonry safety procedures Video 25 min
    5. Masonry restoration and repair Video 30 min
    6. Section test (6 questions)
    7. Written answers (1 question)
  7. Weeks 19-20

    Painting

    Tools and surface preparation, interior and exterior painting, and specialty work and safety.

    1. Painting tools and surface preparation Video 30 min
    2. Interior and exterior painting Video 30 min
    3. Specialty techniques and paint safety Video 30 min
    4. Section test (5 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  8. Weeks 21-22

    Roofing

    Materials and equipment, installing and repairing roofs, and safety, gutters and maintenance.

    1. Roofing materials and equipment Video 30 min
    2. Installing and repairing roofs Video 35 min
    3. Roofing safety, gutters and maintenance Video 30 min
    4. Section test (6 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  9. Week 23

    Safety Training

    OSHA training and your rights, first aid and CPR, and handling hazardous materials.

    1. OSHA training and your rights Video 25 min
    2. First aid and CPR basics Video 30 min
    3. Handling hazardous materials Video 30 min
    4. Section test (5 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  10. Week 24

    Soft Skills Training

    Communication, teamwork, and problem-solving and critical thinking.

    1. Communication on the job Video 25 min
    2. Teamwork and collaboration Video 25 min
    3. Problem-solving and critical thinking Video 25 min
    4. Section test (3 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)

  11. Final exam

    50 questions from every section, 80% to pass.

    1. Final exam

Hands-on skills

Show these to a Maintenance Academy instructor on a job site or in the shop. Each one they sign off appears on your certificate as a verified skill.

    1. Lay out and frame a wall with an opening
      Lays out plates at 16 in on center, frames king, jack, header and cripples for a window, assembles square, stands, plumbs and braces the wall.
    2. Cut accurately with a circular saw and miter saw
      Makes square and 45° cuts within 1/16 in of the mark, on the waste side, with guards and PPE in place.
    3. Install and cope baseboard and miter casing
      Copes an inside corner and miters an outside corner that close tight, fastened into framing, with a consistent reveal.
    4. Hang and finish a drywall patch
      Cuts back to framing, installs backing and a patch, tapes and applies three coats, and sands ready for paint.
    5. Lay out stairs
      Calculates riser count and height from a total rise, checks tread depth and headroom against code limits, and marks a stringer with a framing square.
    6. Replace a receptacle and a switch (de-energized, verified)
      Locks out and tests, wires correctly, and tests the finished devices.
    7. Make PVC and PEX connections
      Solvent-welds a PVC joint correctly and makes a PEX connection checked with a go/no-go gauge or the manufacturer's method.
    8. Replace a toilet flapper and fill valve
      Shuts off, replaces parts, sets the water level and confirms no leak with a dye test.
    9. Replace an HVAC filter and clear a condensate drain
      Installs the correct filter in the airflow direction, clears the drain and confirms flow.
    10. Mix mortar and lay a brick lead to a line
      Mixes mortar to workable consistency, builds a corner lead plumb, level and to story-pole course heights, and tools joints at thumbprint hardness.
    11. Repoint a section of brick
      Rakes joints to the right depth without damaging brick, packs in lifts with a compatible mortar, and tools to match.
    12. Prepare and paint a room
      Protects, cleans, patches, spot-primes, cuts in and rolls two coats with a clean line and no lap marks (lead-safe in older buildings).
    13. Replace shingles and step flashing
      Breaks seals, removes and replaces shingles with correct nailing and exposure, and installs step flashing lapped correctly, working with fall protection.
    14. Set up and use fall protection
      Inspects and dons a harness, connects to a rated anchor, and sets up a ladder at 4:1, 3 ft above the eave, tied off.