From laborer to owner Latinos are moving forward in North Bay construction By Jessica Zimmer L atinos are utilizing the availability of hands-on training and interaction with local builders’ associations to solidify their standing in North Bay construction. Construction is in demand and offers the potential for good returns, but has huge upfront costs. It can require extensive training and costly supplies, equipment and storage space. Common goals for recent immigrants are increasing fluency in English and becoming familiar with building and safety regulations. One of the biggest challenges is understanding one another. The Latino community is diverse and is composed of undocumented immigrants, legal permanent residents and U.S. citizens, with family ancestry from a wide range of countries. Frank Cuneo, director of the North Bay Building Trades Council’s Trades Introduction Program (North Bay TIP), says it is important for programs to build confidence for Latinos and those who support them. North Bay TIP offers a construction apprenticeship readiness training program to residents of all backgrounds from Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. “When the pandemic hit, many Latinos didn’t know who to trust. So many scams arose. What really worked was when someone from their community helped and when they saw other Latino people complete training programs. We support this to erase a wide variety of barriers,” says Cuneo.
NorthBaybiz 31
August 2024
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