Dec 2009 Vol. 12 No. 12

Apprenticeship and schools

Training the next generation

For the last several years, the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council has been a major sponsor at the annual conference for the California School Boards Association. This year, NCCRC marketing representatives joined leaders from the Carpenters Training Committee for Northern California at the San Diego event on December 3 and 4.

Tony Canales of Local 9083 talks about apprenticeship programs to a school board trustee as Dave Collins, Local 405, looks on.

Attended by over two thousand school board trustees, this conference gives us an opportunity to discuss apprentice and pre-apprenticeship programs and construction academies, and other ways schools can prepare their students for a rewarding career in construction.

In the current economic crisis, there is a renewed interest in vocational education at the high school level. Two-thirds of seniors this year won’t go to a four-year college, and school districts want to offer those students an alternative. At these conferences, we have an opportunity to educate the educators about the benefits of partnering with the Carpenters.

Although work is slow now, there will still be a demand for skilled craftsmen and- women, and we want to attract the best to our trade. Furthermore, there are still billions of dollars committed to school construction throughout the state. This creates great opportunities for schools not only to build quality buildings, but to use their dollars to create great careers. Over the past few years, our Council has been very successful in signing agreements that provide training opportunities, while creating jobs for union members.

At this conference, we distributed apprenticeship information and other materials about the union, and hosted a reception for the trustees. This effort was part of the Regional Council’s commitment to marketing the benefits of union construction. In a tough economy, when we promote the hiring of union carpenters, we create job opportunities for our members, and ensure a flow of work with good wages and benefits.

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