Houston labor committee hears how ARPA-funded apprenticeship program is expanding pathways into skilled trades

Jennifer Tijerina, workforce development project manager for the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, told the Houston Labor Committee on Feb. 29 that the Apprenticeship Advantage program — funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars distributed through Harris County — is building pathways into 3–5 year union apprenticeships in construction, entertainment and transportation.

"This program that is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act ... offers a pathway for Harris County residents to join one of 10 apprenticeship programs," Tijerina said, describing pre-apprenticeship classes that include a week devoted to math and hands-on tours of training facilities.

Committee members pressed for details about openings, sustainability and city partnerships. Vice Chair Martine Nance said the region will see "over $20,000,000,000 of work over the next five years," and asked how the city can participate. Tijerina said ARPA funds have been disbursed to Harris County and that Department of Labor reimbursements also support apprentices, but warned ARPA funding runs through 2026 and the program is working to identify other funding sources and local supports such as transportation and housing to help trainees remain on the job.

Tijerina told the committee the initiative initially received $9,100,000 from ARPA and has been renewed so that approximately $13,700,000 will be invested in apprenticeship programming by the end of 2026. She suggested the city consider a procurement requirement similar to one adopted by the Harris Health Board, which set a 10% apprenticeship utilization requirement on LBJ bond projects.

Presenters and public commenters described how union apprentices played a major role in recent storm response. "The elevator constructors worked for hours to remove the tree," Tijerina said, and she estimated more than 100 skilled-trade apprentices helped about 125 households after the May derecho.

Several apprentices and union officials gave personal testimony. Jose Antonio Ortiz, a first-year electrical apprentice, said his income rose from about $500 a month before training to roughly $1,000 a week after entering the apprenticeship. Chateau Woodard, business agent for Plumbers Local 68, described a five-year program that starts apprentices at $22 per hour with full insurance and pension contributions and said the local expects to grow from roughly 500 to about 700 apprentices next year.

Committee members asked how the city could strengthen partnerships. Tijerina recommended that future city-funded projects include clear apprenticeship utilization language and urged council offices to help connect interested residents to program intake: "If a council member says they have folks interested, they could contact our office and we can work with them directly," she said.

The Labor Committee asked program administrators to provide more precise enrollment and scheduling data for each trade, and Tijerina offered to follow up with that information. The committee adjourned at 3:10 p.m.; staff said the next meeting will be scheduled around HPOU contract negotiations.