Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SFPUC and City HR outline Apprenticeship SF and employee engagement push; commissioners press for workforce transparency
Summary
San Francisco's Department of Human Resources described Apprenticeship SF and the PUC's role in centralized apprenticeships; HR also presented a 63%‑participation employee engagement survey and proposed recognition/tracking tools. Commissioners pushed for better connection to performance management and local workforce/development transparency, and a separate land‑use license request from Friends of the Urban Forest was continued for more information on wages and staffing.
Margo Reed, project manager for Apprenticeship SF at the Department of Human Resources, told the commission the city has centralized multiple apprenticeship efforts to standardize hiring and ensure programs meet Division of Apprenticeship Standards and MOUs. Reed described trades and programs where SFPUC needs succession (stationary engineers, high‑voltage transmission and distribution, machinists, plumbers and new pathways such as a cybersecurity pre‑apprentice), emphasized nondiscrimination reforms and "train the trainer" efforts, and explained apprentices are hired as permanent‑exempt employees with benefits during training but without property rights to the position at apprenticeship end.
Justine Hinderliter (interim director, HR services) presented the employee engagement survey results (Quantum Workplace): a 63% participation rate (goal 70%), 60% favorable overall rating, and nearly 4,000 comments to analyze. Staff identified two focus areas—communication and recognition—and plans to launch a social recognition platform in January and to track manager commitments. Commissioners asked whether commitments would be tied to performance evaluations; staff said that connection is a longer‑term goal but that commitments are already being used by managers to track progress.
Separately on the consent calendar, the commission considered a five‑year, no‑fee revocable license to Friends of the Urban Forest for storage of trees on a PUC parcel. Commissioners raised concerns about transparency and workforce standards: multiple commissioners requested detailed disclosures (employee counts, classifications, wage rates, benefits and any complaints) and argued the agency should avoid indirectly undercutting prevailing wage standards. Staff said some information had been provided but commissioners found it insufficient and voted to continue the item until January when fuller disclosure will be available.
