Cathleen Galgiani: Prepping workers for skilled jobs for big, big projects

On Friday, I will attend a ceremony in Modesto to honor the first-ever graduates of the groundbreaking Multi-Craft Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program. This nationally recognized program trains workers for large infrastructure projects.

From new passenger rail systems to highway improvements, a series of exciting projects are fueling the demand for skilled workers. We’re working to fill that need through innovative and practical job-training partnerships that ensure a qualified workforce now and into the future.

The class teaches students valuable skills such as construction math and allows them to explore the trades that are vital to construction projects. The grant-funded, six-week course is an extension of a highly successful program that began in Fresno last year.

Here, the Stanislaus Alliance Worknet and the Merced County Department of Workforce Investment established the program in partnership with local trades and unions. Students came from both counties.

Our workforce agencies are important parts of the effort to train and match workers with the employers who need them. From job training to career counseling to résumé writing and more, these agencies provide invaluable services.

Their work is especially important in the 14-county Central Valley, where studies show that about $36 billion in public infrastructure projects are rolling out before 2020. In a region with unemployment rates that sometimes are nearly double the statewide average and that typically recovers more slowly than many other areas of California, these projects are necessary and welcome.

Already, some construction projects are taking shape along the Highway 99 corridor. The Pelandale Avenue interchange at Highway 99 is being expanded and rebuilt and there are several other such projects underway nearby.

But new construction isn’t limited to our highway system. In downtown Modesto, work is expected to begin in 2017 on a new Stanislaus County courthouse. The roughly 300,000-square-foot building will consolidate court services under a single roof and provide a one-stop location for residents.

More exciting improvements and additions are on the horizon for rail travel. Construction has begun on our 800-mile high speed rail system that ultimately will connect major regions of the state. The project is expected to create thousands of jobs, contribute to a cleaner environment and translate into less than three-hour commutes between Northern and Southern California.

In the future, the high-speed rail line could connect with the Altamont Corridor Express. This popular commuter rail system links the Central Valley and Silicon Valley, carrying nearly 1.2 million riders annually.

Finally, ACEforward is a proposal to improve, expand and extend that rail service. Plans include running trains more frequently, improving connections to Bay Area Rapid Transit and adding service to downtowns in Modesto, Turlock and Merced.

Whether these projects are already visible or waiting in the wings, the growing demand for skilled workers is clear. Now, our region needs to ensure that local residents are well-qualified and ready to snap up those long-term jobs that will carry them into the future.

This story was originally published June 24, 2015 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Cathleen Galgiani: Prepping workers for skilled jobs for big, big projects."