essential. “Men come, have free housing and earn money to spend back home. They support the local economy in Mexico and fill the labor shortage here. It keeps both economies headed in the right direction,” she says. Building a workforce To alleviate the shortage of construction workers locally, a partnership of the College of Marin, the Marin Builders Association and Canal Alliance, a San Rafael nonprofit that helps immigrants overcome barriers to success, offers
an Education 2 Career Construction Skills program to individuals authorized to work in the United States. The purpose is two-fold: to provide qualified workers for the construction industry and give immigrants pathways to sustainable careers. Air Gallegos, director of economic mobility at Canal Alliance, explains that the College of Marin was offering training in construction skills but was having difficulty filling classes several years ago. Meanwhile, Canal Alliance had people who were interested but didn’t have the resources to enroll in the program. COM worked with Canal Alliance to remove the obstacles,
allowing students to enter the program without a high school diploma or GED, and the revamped program began in 2018. The program lasts six weeks and runs four times a year, and students earn college credits. They have evening lectures on construction skills from 7 to 10 p.m., at Canal Alliance during the week, as well as financial literacy workshops and training to prepare them to create resumes, apply for jobs and go on interviews. On Saturdays, the students work together at COM’s Indian Valley campus to build a small storage unit, focusing on basic construction skills, such as framing, roofing and painting. When they’ve successfully completed the program, Canal Alliance sends their resumes to the Marin Builders Association to share with their partners in the construction industry. Qualified individuals get good jobs that help the construction industry thrive, and they earn sustainable incomes that allow them to contribute to the economy as taxpayers and consumers. Fabiola Cedeno, workforce target supervisor with Canal Alliance, reports that 323 students have earned certification, and the placement rate is 76%. “We keep following up and giving them support,” she says, with contact lasting up to two years. “Once placed, they usually stay in a job,” says Gallegos, so employers don’t have retention issues, and they save money by not having to train new workers. “These folks go into the working world, and they’re helping our economy,” she says. “They’re building homes in Marin, and that helps our entire county.” Succeeding generations Haveman says that while low-skilled immigrants play an important role in today’s economy, they are more likely to have a greater effect on those who come later. “The path from Mexico to native- born high-school graduate is a long one,” he says, and over time it’s more likely to have a positive impact than a negative one. Traditionally, immigrants have come to the United States to improve their economic status and give their children better educational opportunities, which allows them to achieve more. He reports that while 21% of children of native-born Americans reach the middle class, 35% of immigrants’ children attain that level. Kirkman Lok, CEO of the Lok Group of Companies in Santa Rosa and treasurer of the Sonoma County Hospitality Association, is a second-generation American on his mother’s side and fifth
CL #548129 Thank you for your business this year and we look forward to serving you in 2026. From all of us at Le Duc & Dexter and Super Service Plumbing Delivering “Performance Beyond Expectations” Since 1982 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
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December 2025
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