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Ultimately, the new training center is likely to graduate up to 500 students per year in all the classes offered there once all the programs are up and running. The building of the center came in under budget and on time, says Benjamin Goldstein, dean of the Construction Training Center. “The total construction cost was a combination of federal grants and local match monies. The Economic Development Administration awarded more than $11 million, and we had a nonfederal matching share of nearly $1.6 million. Construction alone was close to $10 million, but the total project budget is about $12.7 million, to account for all the new equipment for the classrooms.” Carpentry and HVAC instruction are the two new programs offered by SRJC, says Goldstein. “We are also moving programs that have been at the Petaluma campus for decades—an existing water resources technology program, with instruction in public water supply and wastewater treatment. These will now be located in the new center, along with our existing noncredit certificate program in fire resilient landscaping.” There are lots of jobs available in framing, he says, so the college is hoping to attract anyone interested in learning the skill. “Framing and rough carpentry is the first step in building a house—it’s the foundation of all new construction.” Students in the four-part carpentry course will receive a fundamentals certificate in OSHA regulations, tools and safety, followed by hands-on experience in two carpentry classes. In total it’s a three- semester-long program lasting 17 weeks. It’s not required to be a high school graduate, but students must be at least 18, and all ages are accepted. Registration for the carpentry program opened in April. The carpentry classes are a noncredit program. “It’s still college, but there are no transferable credits. It’s a completely free program that is pass/fail competency based. From the moment the students step in the door to graduation 18 months later, there is no cost to them and no homework,” says Goldstein. The goal, he says, is to eventually conduct classes in both English and Spanish. “That’s for workforce equity, to meet students where they are linguistically.” Registration opens in the fall for the HVAC course, which Goldstein says will use innovative software to teach theory and fundamental science in an online simulation environment, much like what fighter pilots and physicians use to learn complex procedures. Cost for the HVAC program will be $46 per unit, which is the standard statewide community college enrollment fee, and students will receive the full training for approximately $150. The HVAC program is open to all ages, and students must have a high school diploma or GED. Goldstein says he is actively seeking HVAC professionals to teach the classes. “The local HVAC industry is starting to get excited about this because they are desperate for tradespeople,” he says. “They envision this new center as being a community hub for the local construction industry, eventually holding hiring fairs, trade shows, tool demonstrations and more in the space.” g
Plenty of trades training in Marin I n partnership with Marin Builders Association (MBA), at least three construction training opportunities are offered for most young people and adults in the North Bay. MBA adapted the North Bay Construction Corps (NBCC) template from the North Coast Builders Exchange in Sonoma County [see main article], and it works with “any and every” high school in Marin County, says Rick Wells, chief executive officer of MBA. “NBCC is the brainchild of the North Coast Builders Exchange, and we operate our own program in Marin. We have no favorite high schools in Marin—we love them all—and it’s open to students from everywhere here.” He says NBCC hosts the classes at Terra Linda High School in partnership with the Marin County Office of Education and the Shifting Gears program, which offers automobile-focused vocational training. Wells says more than 100 students have gone through the NBCC program in Marin and approximately 80% of those have graduated, with 20% not finishing the program for one reason or another. The focus is on students interested in going to work or who are already working. “After running the program here for many years, we determined there was a need for adults choosing a second career or who are considering construction because they are seeking a living wage, an opportunity to increase their earning potential. So we accept students of all ages in NBCC, not just new high school graduates.” In addition, MBA and the Marin County Office of Education also created the Regional Occupational Program (ROP), covering a wide range of topics related to construction techniques, tools, materials and industry standards. The course takes place one night a week for 18 weeks and is free to Marin County high school students. Another program, Education to Career (E2C), is a partnership between Canal Alliance and College of Marin and teaches construction skills to anyone who wants to learn starting at the age of 18. According to Regina Vindel, workforce career supervisor for Canal Alliance, the majority of students are between the ages of 20 and 35, but many older people have also graduated from the course. Classes last six weeks and take place at the Indian Valley Campus of College of Marin in Novato. Since the program began in 2018, 227 students have graduated from the E2C program. Vindel says most of the students are Latinx from low-income communities in Marin, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Solano and San Francisco counties. “After graduation, the students get connected to a virtual hiring fair, where we share the resumes with MBA for placement,” she says. “We follow the graduates for two years to make certain they are helped with any barriers or issues that come up.” Wells of MBA is an enthusiastic cheerleader for the programs in Marin that have graduated hundreds of students over the years. “The availability of resources for young people and others who want to learn the construction trades have really blossomed in the last few years in Marin. It’s a testament to the synergy that can be created through business partnerships.”
July 2024
NorthBaybiz 57
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