College receives $250,000 CAI Grant for construction pre-apprenticeships

College of the Canyons has received a $250,000 grant from the California Apprenticeship Initiative grant to fund construction pre-apprenticeships to train students with workforce-ready skills and serve the needs of the construction industry in the Santa Clarita Valley.

In partnership with the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters and the William S. Hart Union High School District, the college will offer a pre-apprenticeship to apprenticeship pathway to 50 individuals between August 2022 and June 2024.

“We are very excited to offer this new and innovative approach because the pre-apprenticeship pathway leads to an apprenticeship opportunity, and within the pre-apprenticeship pathway, students can also earn stackable, industry-recognized credentials to demonstrate mastery in core skills,” said Harriet Happel, dean of career and technical education at the college. “This allows students to enter the workforce with a competitive advantage for attaining social and economic mobility.”

The grant will fund a pre-apprenticeship pathway for construction technologies at the college’s Canyon Country campus and in the construction technologies dual-enrollment pathway at the William S. Hart Union High School District.

Upon completion, students will be prepared for one or more of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters Union Registered Apprenticeship programs under the umbrella of the Southwest Carpenters Training Fund.

In an effort to recruit from disproportionally impacted populations, the project will work closely with veterans’ organizations, America’s Job Centers, and other community stakeholders.

The project is expected to benefit both students and industry while contributing to the state’s economic recovery emerging out of the COVID-19 pandemic.