What little kid isn’t fascinated by construction equipment – bulldozers, scrapers, cranes, pavers and the like? Even older kids like this writer still think such machines are the definition of cool. But actually, operating these amazing and increasingly sophisticated machines is not kid stuff. When someone decides they want a career in this field and …
One of the more challenging – and hazardous – trades is electrical work. It’s also a vital component of construction and the energy grids. Preparing a steady stream of qualified electricians to do this important and dangerous work is the task of the many apprenticeship centers around California. The courses are challenging, and the programs …
As Cal-OSHA Reporter has been detailing over the past year, California apprenticeships are helping build the workforce of the future. Traditionally apprenticing has been in construction, but now it includes occupations as diverse as healthcare and cybersecurity. Those seeking apprenticeships include young people, those who have been in the workforce for years in dead-end jobs, …
In 2021 as she prepared to graduate high school, Itzel Prieto faced a choice: Go to college, as her parents wanted, but without a clear direction, or choose another route. Here is how she found an unusual occupation. Happenstance, coincidence or not, changed her direction. “I was just scrolling through Tik Tok one afternoon when …
Healthcare is a growth industry. It is expected to increase 7.1% between 2022 and 2027, according to the healthcare consultancy McKinsey & Co. That’s significantly more than the overall projected economic growth for that period of 4.7%. At the same time, there is a crisis in the healthcare workforce, with pandemic fatigue and an aging …
Roofing has traditionally been one of the most hazardous areas of construction. But this trade’s complexities – and hazards – are more than meets the eye. And to prepare young employees for the work they’ll do and the challenges they’ll face, Livermore’s Roofing and Waterproofing Training Center (R&WTC) offers a complete 3-1/2-year course with a …
Apprenticeships have been around since at least the Middle Ages. Now, they are a vital pipeline to pair young workers with employers. Well into the 21st century, demand is strong for these workers and the programs. Resources are being made available by the state and federal governments. As part of Cal-OSHA Reporter’s series about apprenticeships, …
It’s a typical morning at Benicia’s University of Iron. Apprentices learning their trade climbing on a steel structure built in the heart of the center, practicing the art of rigging. In a classroom nearby, an Ironworkers union official from Tukwila, Washington, teaches a course on tower cranes. Apprenticeships have long been a fundamental part of …