Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Apprenticeship Spotlights topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tradeswomen Inc. and apprentices describe how union apprenticeships create second chances and career pathways
Summary
Speakers at the Employment Training Panel meeting shared personal accounts of apprenticeship training leading from homelessness, addiction, and incarceration to steady employment. Tradeswomen Inc. announced a 10-week hands-on cohort to help Golden Gate Village residents rebuild subsidized units starting Nov. 3.
At a September Employment Training Panel meeting, Tradeswomen Incorporated and several apprenticeship graduates described how employer-driven apprenticeship programs can provide career pathways and life changes for participants who face employment barriers.
Juanita Douglas, identified in the panel packet as executive director of Tradeswomen Incorporated, described new programs focused on hands-on training and outreach. She said Tradeswomen received an award to run a 10-week hands-on training program for Golden Gate Village residents to help rebuild 300 subsidized housing units; the cohort will accept 25 trainees and the hands-on training portion is slated to start Nov. 3. She also noted a catalyst grant supporting a girls camp for eleventh- and twelfth-grade girls, with multiple cohorts planned through September 2026.
Several apprentices then spoke directly to the panel. Sandra Molina, who appeared in an introductory video and later addressed the panel, described recovery and entry into the Laborers apprenticeship: "Well, I became a drug addict at 17... At 22, I found that I was pregnant... I went through the laborers boot camp in August 2023. I passed it. And on that Friday that I passed it, Monday, I had a job." Molina said the apprenticeship gave her stability and the ability to support her children.
Adriana Clemons, who said she served eight years in prison before entering Local 185’s program, said the apprenticeship changed her life: "It's not what you done. It's who you are today." Lamar Durrs, a journeyman carpenter, told the panel the NorCal Carpenters apprenticeship provided technical skills and helped rebuild his life after personal trauma: "The apprenticeship gave me more than a trade. It gave me stability, purpose, and a second chance at life."
Why this matters Panel members emphasized that these testimonials illustrate ETP’s mission to support partnerships that place historically disenfranchised groups into career-track jobs. Staff and presenters tied the personal stories to metrics: ETP staff noted the agency expects to serve more than 22,000 trainees in the apprenticeship program this fiscal year and has supported tens of thousands of apprentices under the current administration.
What’s next Tradeswomen Inc. and other apprenticeship training trusts will proceed with their approved proposals and cohorts; the panel’s funding approvals at the same meeting mean the programs discussed can move forward. Panel members asked staff to continue outreach and to bring policy recommendations on funding distribution back to the panel for future meetings.
