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Community

Building Futures: Tuolumne’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program Celebrates 14th Graduation

Students are laying out building foundation lines, ensuring squareness when turning 90-degree corners.
Students are laying out building foundation lines, ensuring squareness when turning 90-degree corners.
  • Whitney Bembenek

Earlier this spring, the Workforce and Economic Program Services (WEPS) team, within the Infrastructure Division, proudly celebrated a major milestone: the graduation of the 14th cohort of the Tuolumne Collaborative Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program.

Launched in 2017, this program continues to thrive through strong partnerships with local unions, contractors, and community organizations. Its mission remains clear: equip participants with the skills and confidence to pursue and obtain union construction careers on SFPUC’s regional projects in Tuolumne and surrounding counties, while supporting local workforce and economic growth.

Program directors pose for a group photo.
Whitney Bembenek, SFPUC Program Grant Administrator; Rocky Wolf, Program Instructor; Valerie Tulier-Laiwa, SFPUC Social Impact Partnership Manager and Program Co-Founder; Darrell Slocum, CEO of Sonora Area Foundation and Program Partner

In partnership with the program's primary implementation partner, San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE), this spring 2025 session welcomed 15 eager participants, including three women, for seven weeks of intensive, hands-on training. The curriculum was grounded in the nationally recognized MC3 (Multi-Craft Core Curriculum), blending technical study and construction math with practical skill-building, resume writing, and interview prep.

"In this pre-apprenticeship program, participants have a whole community of people rooting for them: trainers, SJCOE, contractors, employers, union representatives, community institutions and support services from downtown San Francisco to Tuolumne County. We are excited to continue increasing the impact of this upcountry workforce program as much as we can," said Whitney Bembenek, SFPUC Program Grant Administrator.

The learning didn’t stop in the classroom. Participants heard directly from seasoned professionals across trades: laborers, carpenters, operating engineers, and electricians, who shared not only insights into their crafts, but also real-world advice on what it takes to succeed in the field. In addition to the various trades presentations, the group toured the Tesla Water Treatment Facility in Tracy, the Carpenters’ Training Center in Fairfield, and Banks Glass in Jamestown, which brought the lessons to life and connected theory with practice, showcasing what’s possible beyond the training room.

By the end of the program, nine participants proudly graduated. Of those, six were directly indentured into trade unions – five as carpenters and one as a laborer. Five secured employment within just two weeks, including four who came in with no previous construction experience at all. Two of those new hires are now officially apprentice union members, which serves as a testament to how quickly doors can open with the right training and support.

Even for some who didn’t finish the program, the impact was clear. One trainee, who had to leave midway, stayed connected with the instructor and recently shared an exciting update: He’s now earning his GED and has been indentured with the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers.

This cohort’s success highlights not only the transformative power of opportunity and training, but also the dedication of the SFPUC, through the WEPS team, and our incredible partners. Together, we’re not just creating career pathways – we’re building community.