CONCORD, Mass., MAY 22, 2019 – This Old House Ventures, LLC’s Generation Next program – the philanthropic initiative which aims to close the skills gap by encouraging young people to master vocational trades – is pleased to announce the apprenticeship winners for 2019. Kathryn Fulton of Pembroke Pines, Florida and De’Shaun Burnett of New Orleans, Louisiana will be working alongside—and learning from—the This Old House team on the Westerly Project House and projects in the Greater Boston area, which will air in the 2019-2020 season. The winners of the two paid apprenticeships were chosen from an impressive lineup of applicants and will serve a six month assignment. Let’s meet our apprentices:
KATHRYN FULTON: “I don’t believe in just doing a job, but doing it right, and with excellence.” Fulton, 35, hails from Pembroke Pines, Florida. A true DIYer, Kathryn has expanded her knowledge of the trades by immersing herself in hands-on experience with framing, drywalling, tiling, painting and furniture repurposing. She earned a Certificate of Interior Design from the University of Miami, has dabbled in electrical, plumbing and landscaping, and has successfully completed a couple gut model jobs.
DE’SHAUN BURNETT: “To build a home it takes more than just the tools, it takes more than just the time and effort, it takes the team.” Burnett, 21, started exploring career opportunities in New Orleans during high school, by way of unCommon Construction. De’Shaun spent several semesters with the organization, ultimately graduating as a crew leader in 2017. Since then, he’s enrolled in a Community College to study construction, and is eager to find the right entry point to jumpstart his career.
Generation Next is a philanthropic initiative launched by This Old House Ventures,LLC, to encourage and empower young people to join the skilled trades. Generation Next works closely with companies and trade associations to promote the value of a career in the building trades and help fund scholarships for students interested in pursuing jobs as carpenters, electricians, roofers, masons, and plumbers. Monies raised by the Generation Next campaign will be donated to the The National Housing Endowment’s Skilled Labor Fund and mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s Work Ethic Scholarship Program. The mikeroweWORKS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity started by Mike Rowe to promote vocational training for jobs currently in demand and to address the widening skills gap.
About This Old House Ventures, LLC
This Old House Ventures, LLC, is America’s No. 1 multi-platform home-enthusiast brand, providing trusted information and expert advice through its award-winning television shows, This Old House and Ask This Old House, its highly regarded This Old House magazine, and its inspiration- and information-driven digital properties, including ThisOldHouse.com and House.one. This Old House and Ask This Old House are produced by This Old House Ventures, LLC, and are presented on PBS by WGBH Boston. National underwriting for This Old House TV is provided by GMC, The Home Depot, State Farm Insurance Company, Marvin Windows & Doors, Gorilla Glue, HomeAdvisor, Festool, and HomeServe USA. Established as This Old House Ventures, LLC, the company is headquartered in Stamford, CT, with offices in New York, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Toronto, and Concord, Massachusetts.
