Build careers to ease state’s housing shortage

Wood shop and metal shop — once commonly found in high schools and middle schools across California — are enjoying a resurgence, but far too slowly to meet the demands for construction, not to mention the governor’s plan.

Affordable and workforce housing across the state grows further beyond the means of both working-class and low-income Californians. As reaffirmed in his State of the State speech last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom is to be commended for setting an ambitious goal of constructing 3.5 million residential units by 2025.

Ensuring a ready supply of affordable homes must be a top priority if California is to provide economic prosperity for its workforce. The governor himself acknowledges the obstacles to overcome to bring his vision to reality — California Environmental Quality Act reform, land costs, rising materials costs, and so on. However, the most important factor to successfully meet our state’s housing needs is through greater investment in workforce development programs.

California lost 200,000 construction workers in last decade’s recession and, despite the economic recovery, there is only one apprentice entering the pipeline for every five journeymen who retire. While the governor’s proposal calls for 500,000 units to be built annually, California saw only 120,000 homes built in 2018. The last time California produced more than 300,000 homes in a single year was 1986.

To meet the governor’s challenge, California would need to add 400,000 workers to the single-family and multifamily construction rolls. During California’s post-WWII economic boom, public high schools provided a steady stream of skilled students to build needed housing and infrastructure. In today’s technological world, educators and parents alike are steadily pushing students toward college and high-tech careers, neglecting the trade industries we depend upon daily.

Wood shop and metal shop — once commonly found in high schools and middle schools across California — are enjoying a resurgence, but far too slowly to meet the demands for construction, not to mention the governor’s plan.

The Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange operates programs that expose high school students to rewarding career opportunities in construction, moving them along to community college certification programs or apprenticeship programs without the burden of student loan debt. As successful as our programs are, more are needed.

The formula for student achievement must be revisited to stress the importance and opportunities presented through Career Technical Education, which provides students with skills demanded in the labor market while preparing them for postsecondary degrees in technical fields. While the academic benefits of career technical programs are clear — increased graduation rates and higher grade point averages — it’s the quicker routes to employment and higher incomes that cannot be overstated. The mean hourly wage in construction exceeds $27, providing for solid working-class careers.

To ensure California has the housing we so desperately need, and to ensure that every student can pursue promising and in-demand careers, we call upon the governor and Legislature to place career technical education on equal footing with college preparation in both priority and funding.

Timothy Murphy is the CEO of the Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange. Its members include general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters.