In a recent virtual panel about construction jobs starting at Aggie Square, the overall takeaway was this: “It's about the construction jobs and the construction talent that exists within the Sacramento region,” according to Travis Sheridan, Wexford Science and Technology’s chief community officer.

The webinar, which took place on Wednesday, June 16, was hosted by UC Davis and included panelists from: Wexford, Aggie Square’s development partner; Sacramento City Councilmembers Jay Schenirer and Eric Guerra; Whiting-Turner, construction general contractor;  and Kevin Ferreira, executive director of the Sacramento-Sierra Building and Construction Trades Council, or SSBCTC.

As Sacramento Vice Mayor Schenirer kicked off the panel, he set the tone. “High-quality, well-paying union jobs for folks is going to be really critical to the success of this project over time,” Schenirer said. “But we also understand that there's a lot of knowledge that needs to be gained out there about how to get these jobs, when they'll be available, what kind of jobs (there) will be and who to talk to about them.”

Shawn Cooper, a project manager at Whiting-Turner, explained that for the first two buildings planned at Aggie Square — Lab East and Lifelong Learning Center —  “We've finished conceptual design. We kind of know what the buildings are going to look like, (and) we're starting to dig into the full design development.” He expects that design development process to take nine to 10 months.

“High-quality, well-paying union jobs for folks is going to be really critical to the success of this project over time.”
— Vice Mayor Jay Schenirer

Whiting-Turner is looking ahead to see “how do we prepare the subcontractors and the trades community to be ready for us several months later when we go into construction?” Cooper said. Once construction is underway, expected to begin in early 2022, Whiting-Turner predicts a 30-month construction duration.

“We're slowly going to build momentum,” Cooper said, and “at the peak will have 200 individuals, each day for several months.”

Timing-wise, to be ready for any of those jobs, Cooper suggested that anyone who wants to be a subcontractor can get in touch with Whiting-Turner now via email at AggieSquare@whiting-turner.com. Whiting-Turner, Cooper explained, is starting the process of soliciting subcontractors, and anyone interested in finding out what is required to pre-qualify for the process should email his or her name and contact information.

The Hows and Whats of Apprenticeships

Kevin Ferreira, executive director of the Sacramento-Sierra Building and Construction Trades Council, provided some insight about how apprenticeships work for construction.

“Our apprenticeship programs, for the most part, are four-year programs,” Ferreira explained. “That does not mean you go to school for four years first, and then you're qualified to go out on the project…It means you're ‘earning and learning’ at the same time. You're going to school and you're also on the job site at the same time.

Ferreira continued, “Every six months, you're advancing. So in any (of these four-year) programs, you're going to advance every six months for four years, which means you're getting a pay raise every six months for your first four years…. At the end of the four years, you're ‘journey’ level and you and you'll be making the journey-level pay.”

He emphasized that you are not in an apprenticeship for four years before being at a job site. “You're on the job site, and you're going to school at the same time.”

Ferreira also explained that “Within the building trades, in union construction, there are 32 apprenticeship programs, which means there's 32 career paths in construction with us.”

“We have several months to move through that process,” Cooper said, and “we want to do it as early as possible, so that if there are any hiccups, we have time to work through them and really build the … subcontractor community around this project.”

For Kevin Ferreira of the SSBCTC, this process is already moving ahead, in part due to Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES money secured by the city.

Ferreira said that through outreach to community groups in the Sacramento region — including the Sacramento Urban League, Asian Resources, Inc., and La Familia — 450 people expressed interest in the pre-apprenticeship program that is built in to the Aggie Square development plan.

Explained Ferreira, “There are 109 people ready to go for this project for 50 positions. However, it's our goal to place all 109.” The 109 people who have gone through the SSBCTC pre-apprenticeship program are from “targeted ZIP codes” near the Aggie Square site.

“The great thing about this project, of working with the Sac-Sierra Building trades and the apprenticeship program, is this isn't a one-time opportunity for folks."
— Sacramento Councilmember Eric Guerra

Ferreira said they agreed to 50 new apprentices because “There are prior (construction) projects that are going on in the city right now (where) we have similar commitments (to place new apprentices). We need a place for those workers to come to when they're when they're done with their projects.”

In that way, Ferreira said, projects such as Aggie Square don’t become “a one and done deal for anybody.” The Trades Council is working to keep people working in construction after they have been trained and not just for single projects.

Councilmember Guerra further explained: “The great thing about this project, of working with the Sac-Sierra Building trades and the apprenticeship program, is this isn't a one-time opportunity for folks; and once they get through the program, as we have more construction and more activity throughout the city and region, we're really helping people through longterm career paths.”

Ferreira added, “If we need to put on another pre-apprenticeship program to meet the need of the project we will.” He also clarified that even if someone was not part of the pre-apprenticeship program that took place in October, it’s still possible to be part of an Aggie Square apprenticeship program.

“I would recommend you contact myself or Kevin Brown (pre-apprenticeship readiness director for SSBCTC) so that we can discuss what craft you are most familiar with and see what we can do to help you out.” To get in touch with Ferreira or Brown, call 916-832-3233, or email Ferreira at kevinf@ssbctc.org, or Brown at kevinb@ssbctc.org.

For more information, watch the complete webinar.