We're Building the Future Workforce!

Mornings in San Francisco are rarely bright, shiny and warm but that was the case on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, when the Nor Cal Carpenters Union, BuildIT and a broad range of Construction Industry representatives, and elected officials, gathered at the Power Station Project in the City’s Dogpatch District to take a giant leap forward in building the workforce of tomorrow.

For nearly a year the NCCU and BuildIT have been developing a very thorough and intentional Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) whereby the two organizations will work in tandem to engage with historically underutilized and underrepresented individuals from our collective communities into the training programs that the NCCU has been providing for the past 70 years. 

NCCU’s Training is an educational organization that provides Apprentice and Journey-level related training services for Union Carpenters and Union Contractors across the 46 Northern California Counties. The Nor Cal Carpenters Training is governed by a joint Labor and Management trust board. Apprentice training programs range from 2-4 years including paid on-the-job training and related supplemental instruction in a classroom and shop setting. Apprentices advance throughout the program based on time, work hours and related supplemental instruction. At completion, the apprentices are Certified Journey persons.

In concert, both organizations will be engaged with community-based organizations that represent individuals who are looking for viable/well-paying jobs in the construction industry focused on the carpenter trades.

This unique initiative will fast become the model to be replicated across the United States.  Just this week we have received calls of interest from regions that understand that for every 4 individuals who are retiring from the construction industry only ONE is entering the industry.

Thank you to our remarkable speakers at yesterday’s event:

Rafael Mandelman, President, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Bilal Mahmood, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Jay Bradshaw, Executive Officer, Nor Cal Carpenters Union

Cesar Sanchez and Nancy Mateu, Nor Cal Carpenters Union

Paul Pendergast, President, BuildIT/BuildOUT California

Peter Tateishi, CEO, Associated General Contractors of California (AGC of CA)

Emily Cohen, Executive Vice President, United Contractors (UCON)

Lori Dunn-Guion, Senior Vice President, Swinerton

Enrique Landa, Associate Capital

Nick and Danielle Colina, Anco Iron & Construction

Interested in learning more about this initiative? info@build-it.world