Case Study: Drew Carpentry × Bluebelt
Company Background
Drew Carpentry is a community-driven construction training and employment program, designed to help aspiring tradespeople break into carpentry and related fields. With a growing demand for skilled workers, Drew Carpentry’s mission is to bridge the gap between training and employment, helping more participants transition into sustainable careers in the trades.
The Challenge
Drew Carpentry faces an overwhelming volume of applications. Almost 300 people applied to their carpentry program so far, in addition to 60–70 applicants for their FOA (Foundations of Apprenticeship) program.
Without a system to manage intake, the team relied on manual spreadsheets, emails, and phone screens. Staff had to personally screen candidates, copy-paste data, and prepare participants for interviews. This was time-consuming, error-prone, and limited the team’s ability to focus on training and program delivery.
“It would have to be a human type of call… either me or the team would need to get on the phone … I can appreciate how much time Bluebelt saved us.”
The Solution
Drew Carpentry partnered with Bluebelt to streamline its recruiting process.
Custom Application Setup
– Bluebelt designed and launched an intake flow that collected applicant information, resumes, and supporting documents in one place.
AI Screening & Role Compatibility
– Automated filters and compatibility scoring quickly highlighted which applicants were best suited for the program.
AI Interviews & Technical Questionnaires
– Candidates were pre-screened with digital interviews, saving the team dozens of hours.
Centralized Dashboard
– Applications were automatically sorted, searchable by date, and easy to track without digging through emails.
“Once we sorted out the questions, the platform did everything else for us, which was amazing. I really liked the role compatibility feature … comparing applicants to project requirements was very helpful.”
The Results
With Bluebelt in place, Drew Carpentry transformed their intake process:
120 Hours Saved
– staff no longer had to spend weeks buried in manual data entry and phone screens.
300 Applicants Screened Automatically
– no more copy-pasting from emails and spreadsheets.
38 Phone Screens Converted to AI Interviews
– freeing staff time and speeding up placement.
800+ SMS Interactions Automated
– ensuring timely candidate communication and follow-ups.
Dozens of Skilled Workers Placed
– graduates of the program were successfully matched with employers across the GTA.
“I would say it’s a time-saver when you’re screening a large number of candidates. It saves you time in assessing their suitability for whatever you’re trying to assess them for.”
Looking Ahead
Drew Carpentry sees Bluebelt as a building block for the future, not just a one-off solution. As the demand for skilled trades continues to rise, the team is excited to leverage Bluebelt to scale programs further.
Project managers are excited for the continued innovation — from enhanced employer dashboards to AI-generated resumes and participant profiles.
“This is only getting better… even from when we started, the AI interview, the technical questionnaire, the employer dashboard — those were all add-ons after the fact.”
Conclusion
Bluebelt enabled Drew Carpentry to move from a manual, spreadsheet-heavy process to a scalable, automated recruiting system that saved over 120 hours of admin work while processing hundreds of applicants, and we’re only halfway through the program.
With ~ 300 applicants streamlined, dozens of upskilled workers placed, and repeatable workflows for future programs, Drew Carpentry is now better positioned to meet rising demand in the skilled trades and expand its impact across the GTA.
