Turning Richmond's Investment in the Skilled Trades into Apprenticeships: BuildWithin to Power Initiative for 500 Students

Richmond Ed Fund selects BuildWithin as technology partner for Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded skilled trades initiative

RICHMOND, Va., July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Richmond Ed Fund has selected BuildWithin to power RVA Builds, its Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded skilled trades initiative, which aims to move 500 Richmond Public Schools students into paid, work-based skilled trades experiences by the end of the 2028-29 school year.

The need is stark: today, fewer than 15 Richmond Public School graduates enter a Registered Apprenticeship each year, and the largest employers of recent graduates are fast-food chains.

The program is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies' new $90 million national skilled trades initiative, which launched across nine geographies, including Richmond and Washington, D.C. Richmond Ed Fund received an $8 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies to launch RVA Builds. In collaboration with 17 partners, the program aims to have 500 high school students complete at least 120 hours of paid work-based learning experience, with partners agreeing to pay at least $23/hour in total compensation after graduation, and with 150 Richmond Public School graduates entering Registered Apprenticeship over the next three years.

BuildWithin will serve as both the program's technology platform and Registered Apprenticeship intermediary. The platform manages application intake and AI-assisted skills matching, tracks on-the-job training and classroom instruction against U.S. Department of Labor standards, and generates the compliance reports required by the program. As the intermediary, BuildWithin will design apprenticeship programs in electrical, HVAC, welding, and construction; register and maintain them with the U.S. Department of Labor; and serve as the sponsor of record with Virginia Works on behalf of Richmond Ed Fund.

"Too many of our students leave high school without a real path to a career that can support a family," said Taikein Cooper, President and CEO, Richmond Ed Fund. "RVA Builds changes that, and getting it right meant choosing a partner who could both run the technology and stand up genuine Registered Apprenticeships. The Richmond we want depends on building that pipeline, and on building it to last."

"Richmond Ed Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies are reshaping how young people enter the workforce," said William Lopez, Co-Founder and President, BuildWithin. "Our role is to help turn that opportunity into lasting careers, by pairing a proven apprenticeship model with the technology to run it well as it scales. We are grateful to partner with the Richmond Ed Fund, and we hope the approach taking shape here is useful to other communities working toward the same goal."

BuildWithin powers public workforce systems for government agencies nationwide. In Washington, D.C., its technology helped the city's labor agency move residents into federally funded training in days instead of weeks.

Districts and workforce partners can learn more at https://rvabuilds.us/.

About the Richmond Ed Fund

The Richmond Ed Fund is an independent nonprofit that invests in bold, evidence-driven initiatives to improve student outcomes in Richmond Public Schools. For 25 years, the organization has served as the innovation engine for RPS, connecting private capital to early-stage interventions and making the case for public adoption when the evidence is strong.

About BuildWithin

BuildWithin is a workforce technology company building the intelligence layer for how American talent is developed, matched, and mobilized. As a U.S. Department of Labor National Apprenticeship Program Sponsor, BuildWithin operates apprenticeship programs across more than 50 DOL-approved occupations and provides AI-driven systems for skills matching and workforce mobility for employers, intermediaries, and public workforce systems nationwide. Learn more at www.BuildWithin.com.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $4.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.

Media Contact: Philip Minardi | (708) 574-4075 | [email protected]

SOURCE BuildWithin