Hayward Residents Invited to Orientation for Those Looking to Work on Construction Industry

Cypress Mandela Training Center, Inc. provides a 16-week pre-apprenticeship training, that is both hands-on and in the classroom and prepares students for skilled trades jobs that are relevant to today’s construction industry.

What: Orientation for interested Union City, Newark, Hayward and Fremont residents

When: Thursday, November 20th at 9:00 a.m.

Where: Union City CERT Building, 33555 Central Avenue, Union City, CA

Who: Motivated adults looking for employment in the construction industry

To RSVP please contact Sergio Abundis at (510) 675-5819 or Fabiola Camarillo at (510) 675-5820. For more information please visit http://www.cypressmandela.org/.

Youth and Family Services of Union City are recruiting for the upcoming orientation determined to fill it with residents from Union City, Hayward, Newark and Fremont motivated to start their career in the construction industry. The orientation will be held on Friday, November 20th at 9:00 a.m. at the Union City CERT Building located at 33555 Central Avenue in Union City.

Out of the 14 Union City residents who took the 16 week training course with Cypress Mandela at the main training facility in Oakland, 11 graduated and 10 successfully gained employment. Many Union City residents referred to CMTC program by Youth and Family Services of Union City who provide family support services, youth violence prevention and intervention, case management and many other services.

“We have seen the greatest improvement in our young adult clients who now are able to provide for their families and have a future in the Building Trades Unions” Sergio Abundis, Youth Violence Prevention and Intervention Services.

On August 21, 2014, John Lahip was one of 35 students who graduated from Cypress. John, 22 years old, he desired something more meaningful for his future. He grew up in the Decoto neighborhood in Union City, and struggled with school but eventually graduated with a high school diploma. With the support of Union City’s Youth & Family Services (YFS) program and their relationship with the Cypress Mandela Training Center, Inc., John was accepted into the CMTC training program. John states “this experience has made me a better person by helping me to make smarter decisions based on learning from my past mistakes.”

At Cypress, John learned hands on training in the leading construction fields, such as the basics of a lay out, cement mason, hand tools, measuring, framing, and surveying. He also obtained life skills, such as communication strategies and earned special training certificates for working with hazard waste materials, mold mediation, asbestos awareness, CPR, first aid and automated external defibrillator. John is currently signed up with the Local 38 Plummer’s Union, and hopes to be placed on a construction site soon.

Union City Youth & Family Services, in partnership with Cypress Mandela Training Center, Inc., and Union City’s Kid Zone program, are collaborating to implement a satellite of Cypress program in Union City, at the old Barnard White Campus. For more information regarding the upcoming orientation for participants interested in the Union City site please contact Sergio Abundis at (510) 675-5819 or Fabiola Camarillo at (510) 675-5820 or for more information on Cypress Mandela Training Center please visit http://www.cypressmandela.org/.

—Information submitted by Union City Kids’ Zone

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