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Community

15 Cohorts Later, Tuolumne's Pre-Apprenticeship Program Continues to Break Ground

Graduates walk down the line to shake hands and receive all of their earned certificates such as OSHA 10, MC3, First Aid/CPR and more.
Graduates walk down the line to shake hands and receive all of their earned certificates such as OSHA 10, MC3, First Aid/CPR and more.
  • Whitney Bembenek

This September in Tuolumne, pride filled a packed room as 13 graduates from the Tuolumne Community Collaborative’s 15th pre-apprenticeship program walked across the stage. The room had never been so full—families, local leaders, unions, and community partners cheered them on, celebrating their hard-earned success.

Whitney Bembenek, program grant administrator, and Janae, a new graduate, celebrate together. Janae grew in confidence, skill, and the ability to speak up in the program. She was accepted into the laborers union and employed in the trades within one month of graduation.

“I had family members of graduates approaching me with tears in their eyes, telling me how thankful they were and how proud of their graduate they are,” recalled Whitney Bembenek, Workforce and Economic Program Service (WEPS) teammate and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Program Grant Administrator. “More than one parent said to me, ‘You have no idea how much this means to us.'"

This pride was well deserved. Over seven weeks, participants ranging in age from 18 to 50 learned construction skills, math, and job readiness skills while building confidence, community, and hope. Nearly half of the group was women, and many graduates came to the program through re-entry and recovery programs, online outreach, and word-of-mouth referrals. Of the 13 graduates, five are now indentured in local trades unions, and over half are working in construction-related jobs.

Among the numerous successes of the cohort, one participant’s journey especially stood out for Whitney: “In her interview, Janae spoke so softly that half of the panelists couldn’t even hear her responses. ‘How would people hear her on a loud construction site if we can’t even hear her in a quiet room?’ some panelists wondered. We talked through it, decided to invite her in, and over the next weeks we all watched how she grew in confidence, skill, and her ability to be bold and speak up. Now, she is indentured in the laborers union, gainfully employed, and sees a totally different future for herself. I am so proud of her!”

How It All Began

Having just received their certificates of program completion (in Multi-Craft Core curriculum, OSHA 10, and more), graduates of Cohort 15 pose for a photo opp.

The SFPUC’s Project Labor Agreement, administered by the WEPS team, provides unique opportunities and responsibilities to create a pipeline of workers and to hire locally for our construction projects. Eight years ago, these requirements coincided with a SFPUC Moccasin teammate raising a question: How are we giving back to the communities where we have our upcountry operations? 

This question sparked a partnership among SFPUC staff, regional organizations, area school districts, trades unions, contractors, Me-Wuk tribal members, and government agencies. Together, they created the Tuolumne Community Collaborative, a regional effort to build pathways into the construction trades for area residents, generate local workforce for SFPUC construction projects, and strengthen local economies.

In 2017, the Collaborative’s first construction pre-apprenticeship program was launched, offering hands-on education, encouragement, and connections to trades employers. Today, fifteen cohorts and 173 graduates later, the Collaborative’s training program has grown into a model for community partnership and positive impact—one that continues to evolve and thrive.

Congratulations to the graduates of Cohort 15 and to everyone carrying forward the Tuolumne Community Collaborative’s vision!