California’s Apprenticeship Programs Boost ‘High School-to-Hard Hat’ Strategy

Students watch as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) instructor Rick Johnson (C) demonstrates how to navigate a utility pole, during a course at the PG&E pole climbing training facility in Oakland, Calif., on June 8, 2012. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California has the highest number of apprentices in the country, with more than 94,000 active apprentices in the state. Advocates of the program hope to boost those numbers even further.

In a proclamation for the National Apprenticeship Week, observed from Nov. 17 to Nov. 23, California Gov. Gavin Newsom reiterated his support for apprenticeship programs.

“Apprentices are pursuing sustainable, well-paying careers across many sectors in our state, and California is committed to advancing this proven strategy,” the governor said.

More than 191,000 people in California have completed a state-registered apprenticeship program since 2018, moving the state closer to its goal of serving 500,000 apprentices by 2029, Newsom said.

There are currently 612 apprenticeship programs registered in California, according to Andrea Marvin, public information officer for California’s Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).

Statistics from the Department of Labor show that most California apprentices are working through unions, with the average hourly wage for fiscal year 2024 at $21.93.

The Navy Partners With Local Community College

Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California, not only harbors powerful U.S. aircraft carriers but also hosts an apprenticeship program to generate skilled trade workers to take care of those ships.

The Southwest Regional Apprentice Program (SWRAP), with a current enrollment of 110 apprentices, is funded and run by the Department of Defense in partnership with Southwestern Community College in southern San Diego County.

Raquel Funches, director of Southwestern’s restorative justice and other off-campus programs, oversees the college’s apprenticeship program, which has been in place for over 13 years.

Students participating in SWRAP are enrolled in a four-year paid apprenticeship program as federal employees. They receive not only college instruction but also intensive training in trade skills while receiving apprenticeship wages and employee benefits.

The program covers trades including machinists, welders, marine machinery mechanics, pipefitters, riggers, electricians, and electronics mechanics—all geared toward the repair and maintenance of naval ships.

Aside from receiving certification in specific trade skills, each graduate also earns an associate degree in business management and a certificate in project management, Funches said.

Although apprentices are not obligated to naval jobs and are free to pursue other paths after graduation, the program offers a 100 percent placement rate for graduates if they choose to seek employment at the three participating Navy sites—Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Detachment San Diego, Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, and Fleet Readiness Center Southwest.

Providing Needed Trade Workers

The SWRAP program is just one of many apprenticeship programs that are growing the trade workforce in the region.

In just one instance, the Inland Empire Utility Agency (IEUA) in Chino is partnering with government agencies, community colleges, and nongovernment organizations for apprenticeship programs to recruit skilled workers to run water treatment facilities.

While community colleges in Southern California used to offer special trades programs such as those needed for water facilities, only a handful of them still have those programs, IEUA board president Marco Tule told The Epoch Times. That’s where apprenticeships fill a need.

The dearth of special trades programs could be due to funding and long career retention for certain jobs, Tule said. For example, someone hired as a wastewater operator may remain in that position for 20 or 30 years.

“Once you’re fully staffed, you don’t typically hire again,” he said.

That can translate into a lack of demand for special trades programs at the community college level, because students coming out of the programs may not be assured of jobs.

That’s where apprenticeship programs provide a solution, Tule said. IEUA has been hiring apprenticeship graduates in its facilities to meet the workforce need.

Moving Beyond ‘High School-to-Harvard’

While there are many funding opportunities and resources at both state and federal levels available to apprentices, apprenticeship programs are not necessarily well-known or popular.

Funches said the SWRAP apprenticeship program is “not incredibly popular.” She said this could be due to the requirements of the specific program, which include a criminal background check, physical fitness, and an onsite pre-exam. She said the program plans to improve its marketing to reach more people.

In July, Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2179 into law, requiring California school districts to provide parents and guardians with information about local apprenticeship programs at the beginning of every school year.

The bill’s author, Assemblywoman Laurie Davies of Oceanside, said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, “I see the opportunities these programs give to kids who are stuck in the outdated ‘high school-to-Harvard’ structure. We need to reimagine our education system and start exploring ‘high school-to-hard hat’ options.”

Davies’s background makes her a staunch advocate for apprenticeships. She grew up around the trades and apprenticeships in her working-class Wisconsin family. Not every student is geared toward a four-year degree, she said, “and that is perfectly acceptable.”

“We need to reach the next generation of plumbers, pipe fitters, or welders early,” she said.

Her message to them is that there are options out there that don’t involve college diplomas or pricey student loans.