N
ow in its fourth year, Build California continues to advance its vision to create a steady,
motivated, and skilled workforce pipeline for California’s construction industry. Helping drive this effort is a team of
over 60 Build California Ambassadors who connect with students at school and career events across California each month. Passionate about educating and supporting the next generation of con- struction workforce, these industry pro- fessionals themselves represent many divergent pathways into construction careers. And they are united in a common goal: to inspire interest in the industry by sharing their own journeys and vision for why construction should be considered a top career choice. “Ambassadors play a crucial role in
our Build California program by serving as advocates, educators, and connectors. They help to promote the program’s mission, inspire the next generation of builders, and provide guidance to those who are just starting out,” commented Senior Build California Manager Abigail Palomares. “Our Ambassadors bring a wealth of
knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to the program,” she added. “Tey are passionate about sharing their stories and encourage students to explore a path in our industry that best fits their unique interests. By sharing their expertise and career journey, they help to debunk all the misperceptions young people and society
have about our industry and reflect how dynamic, rewarding, and impactful the 21st century construction industry is.” To better understand why these Am- bassadors choose to invest time and en- ergy promoting the construction industry through Build California and what impact the program has had throughout the state, California Constructor spoke with Salena Durrell with Tradeswomen Inc. and Brad Simmons with Royal Electric, along with the directors of two prominent high school construction Career Technical Education (CTE) programs.
Salena Durrell, Tradeswomen Inc. Te opportunity to collaborate and share resources and connections ranked high among the reasons why Salena Durrell embraced the call to become a Build California Ambassador in the spring of 2021. Serving as the Central Valley pro- gram coordinator with Tradeswomen Inc., she had initially become acquainted with Build California and its mission during a workforce event in Fresno two years earlier. “As someone who has worked hands-
on in the trades and who is really passion- ate about educating and spreading the word about blue collar career choices, especially to the youth, I was interested in Build California’s Ambassador program when they reached out,” she commented. “Since then, it has just been an amazing ride, and we have partnered on quite a few events. Our organizations tend to
CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR JULY/AUGUST 2023
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