California strengthens its pipeline for good-paying jobs, providing $25 million to train more than 22,000 workers through apprenticeship programs

“Apprenticeships aren’t just a pathway to a job, they’re the foundation for a lasting career,” said Stewart Knox, Secretary of the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. “These grants will provide thousands of Californians with the tools they need to build skills, gain stability, and step into careers that support their families and communities and bolster California’s economy.”

“ETP is proud to invest in high-wage, high-road job training programs that are directly aligned with industry needs,” said Dr. Jessica Grimes, Executive Director of ETP.

Supporting California’s construction industry 

The construction industry, one of California’s economic anchors as outlined in the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, generates more than $156 billion in annual economic activity and employs close to one million Californians. Additionally, Labor Market Information Division data shows that careers in construction account for 12 of the 15 top occupations accessible with a high school diploma or less, making apprenticeships and careers in construction a reliable and accessible on-ramp to a high-paying career.

Apprenticeships are integral to the health of the construction sector as they predictably supply employers with a skilled workforce built upon a highly-structured training system that is typically jointly developed by labor unions and employers based on the future supply of jobs.

Creating career pathways  

Under Governor Newsom, the state has made a strong push to increase the number of apprenticeships available to Californians, including complementary programs that help people overcome barriers to participation.

ETP has supported 99,023 apprentices during the Newsom Administration. Two such apprentices, Sandra Molina from the Laborers Training School of Southern California and Andrea Clemens from Laborers Local 185, spoke at Friday’s Panel meeting about their apprenticeship experiences.

“I completed my [apprenticeship] training on Friday and had a job by Monday,” said Sandra Molina, a recent apprentice from the Laborers Training School of Southern California. “Being a part of the cleanup of Altadena has helped me rebuild my life, and in a sense, I have helped to rebuild homeowners’ lives…it feels good.”

“It [the apprenticeship program] made me humble and gave me something to grab in life,” said Andrea Clemens, a recent apprentice from Laborers Local 185. “The feeling of gratitude that I get from the program keeps me going. It’s not what you’ve done, it’s who you are.”

“The biggest issue in getting women into the trades is that they don’t know they can do this work,” said Juanita Douglas, Executive Director of Tradeswomen, Inc., a nonprofit organization working to get more women into the building trades.

More jobs. More opportunities

The Employment Training Panel (ETP) has established itself as one of the premier resources for funding training programs across priority industry sectors. In 2012, ETP added to its funding portfolio, Division of Apprenticeship-approved apprenticeship programs, as a pilot program with an initial amount of $6 million. Since then, the program has grown annually, and now allocates 25 percent, approximately $25 million, of ETP’s total annual core funds. 

Apprenticeships serve an integral role in California’s Master Plan for Career Education by offering a pragmatic strategy for workers to become more competitive through hands-on learning that keeps pace with the dynamic shifts of the economy and industry demand. Additionally, ETP’s upcoming September panel meeting provides evidence of its longstanding commitment in supporting Governor Newsom’s goal of supporting 500,000 apprentices by 2029.