Borough wide
Three cheers for Michael Muir, a construction worker who was recently recognized by a nonprofit organization for his outstanding dedication to the job on June 11.
Muir received the “Brooklyn Worker of the Month” honor from Building Skills New York — a nonprofit that helps provide underserved New Yorkers with well-paying employment opportunities. Muir appealed to the organization last year, and they helped him find a job in the construction trade, he said.
“I’m helping to build the future of Brooklyn one brick at a time,” he said. “Thank you, Building Skills, for giving me the opportunity to be on the front lines of building hundreds of affordable housing units in the borough that I know and love.”
In 2018, Building Skills helped connect 235 city workers with jobs in construction and related fields, according to the organization’s leader, who praised Muir as the model for his organization’s goals.
“It is incredible to see how Michael took a job opportunity and is taking the skills he’s learned to further his career,” said David Meade. “Jobs in the construction industry don’t just represent a paycheck, they are a tangible path to the middle class.”
Muir — who works for Rockaway Contracting on the Fountain Seaview Development Project, an affordable housing development in East New York — called his interactions with the organization seamless.
“I walked in on a Monday, and thanks to Building Skills, I got a job two days later,” he said. “I received my first raise just six months into the job.”
Muir is only the second recipient of the “Brooklyn Worker of the Month” award, which the organization plans to give out each month going forward.
Standing O salutes Michael Muir on the honor, and Building Skills New York for its work on behalf of New York’s workers!
— Aidan Graham
