Fontana high educator Lamar Hanger, left, displays Build California materials in his classroom.


Fontana High Career Connections students.


ipating in a career panel in San Jose this March, to hosting Interns Day on a Royal Electric jobsite, to name a few. He encourages other industry professionals to consider getting involved as a Build California Ambassador like he chose to. “That outreach, getting people to understand what they can achieve by being part of it and bringing really good individuals in to strengthen our indus- try as a whole, is just really rewarding,” Simmons said.


Build California’s Impact Evident in the Schools Te impact that Build California and its Ambassadors are having in inspiring and activating the next generation of construction workforce is evident in the relationships forged with several Career Technical Education (CTE) programs across California. Two leading examples are Oakland Unified School District’s (OUSD) CTE program at Fremont High School in Northern California, led by Emiliano Sanchez, and Fontana High School’s Career Connections in Southern California, led by Lamar Hanger.


OUSD’s CTE Programs “Build California has been a very strong supporter of our program,” according to


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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR JULY/AUGUST 2023


Sanchez, director of CTE Trades & Ap- prenticeships with OUSD. “It has done everything from working with us to bring in guest speakers, to supporting our career events, attending, handing out swag and talking with students about the great career opportunities there are in the trades and construction.” Sanchez is the recipient of AGC of


California’s 2023 Construction Education Friend Award, which recognized his work with OUSD supporting hands-on learn- ing, the development of CTE pathways, and integration of internships into youth pathways in 18 high schools that serve a total of 9,500 students. One of the recent events in which


Build California was involved was the OUSD/Cypress Mandela Skilled Trades Fair on March 16, 2023. Te fair exposed some 290 students and staff from OUSD, San Leandro Unified School District and Eden ROP to a full day of engagement


and learning. Sanchez noted that Build California


has been closely involved in working with Fremont High School’s CTE pro- gram, involving close to 300 students. Ambassadors from AGC of California contractor members Turner, Webcor, Swinerton and others have visited the school to share information with students in the program about various trades and direct pathway opportunities into the construction workforce. “Giving the students access to some


direct entry pathways into the industry and to the people that actually hire is starting to change the narrative,” Sanchez said. “Te students have been super receptive” when Ambassadors come in to speak, he added. “People have said OUSD is fortunate to have me, but (this program) only works if I have partners like Build California to bring in Ambassadors to connect with our students.”


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