[January 18, 2013]

Laborers' School Adds 257 Skilled Journeypeople to Workforce

Southern California's construction workforce is a little stronger, thanks to the Construction Craft Laborer Apprenticeship program of the Laborers' Training and Retraining Trust of Southern California (The Laborers' School). On Saturday, January 12th, 257 men and women earned their Construction Craft Laborer Journeyperson credentials after completing the same Construction Craft Laborer Apprenticeship that has trained more than 2,700 safe, skilled construction craft laborers over the past ten years.

Southern California District Council of Laborers Business Manager, Armando Esparza praised the graduates. "The men and women who recently received their journeyperson credentials worked hard and made many sacrifices to achieve this goal, and we are very proud of them. They begin their construction careers with skills and experience that will enable them to make significant contributions to this union, its signatory contractors, and the entire construction industry."

To attain journeyperson status, each apprentice must complete 224 hours of classroom instruction and log at least 3,000 hours of on-the-job raining. Apprentices are exposed to every segment of the construction industry and receive Cal/OSHA required certifications and equipment endorsements. To be accepted into the apprenticeship program, applicants must attend an orientation, pass a drug test, and complete a boot camp to ensure they are ready for the physical demands of the industry.

Training does not end with journeyperson status. "Even after becoming a journeyman, we encourage laborers to continue their education, broaden their skill sets, and even obtain certification in the supervisor courses that we offer," said Laborers' School Executive Director Scott Gordon.

Wes May, Executive Director of the Engineering Contractors Association, praised the Laborers' School and its apprenticeship program. "The Laborers' apprenticeship program has a positive impact on the entire construction industry in Southern California," he said. "The program's emphasis on safety benefits both labor and management, creates a win-win partnership, and is a must for every employer."

The Laborers' Training and Retraining Trust of Southern California is a partnership between the Southern California District Council of Laborers (SCDCL) and their signatory contractors. The Laborers' School operates 18 facilities in Southern California that provide more than 100,000 hours of training every year. The Laborers' School also offers:

• Five mobile training units that bring training to any work site or location
• More than 140 courses that meet or exceed industry standards
• Four California-Apprenticeship-Council-approved apprenticeship programs
• Instructors credentialed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
• Training processes that are accredited (AC 371) by the International Accreditation Service, an independent, non-profit accreditation body

"We have always known the value, quality, and excellence of Laborers' training programs," said Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) Vice President and Pacific Southwest Regional Manager Rocco Davis. "This apprenticeship program reaffirms that we are providing highly skilled laborers to the construction industry."

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