Career Exploration Day to Focus on Building Trades

Job seekers interested in the construction trades are invited to participate in a Job Exploration Day Sept. 29 at the Applied Technology Training Center in San Bernardino.

The event is sponsored by the Building Industry Association of Southern California Baldy View Chapter (BIA) in partnership with the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board (WDB) and the San Bernardino County Community College District. It is designed to address the growing needs of the building trades and a shortage of construction workers throughout San Bernardino County.

According to research conducted for WDB by Chmura Economics & Analytics, construction is one of the highest-demand career sectors in the Inland Empire, requiring more than 22,000 additional workers over the next decade. This increase is being fueled by an influx of businesses and the strong demand for housing in one of the fastest-growing population centers in the United States. With nearly 4.5 million people, the Inland Empire is now the 13th largest metropolitan statistical area in the country, ahead of Seattle, Tampa-St. Petersburg and Denver.

Organizers of the Job Exploration Day are hoping to attract more than 300 individuals interested in construction jobs. Builders will be on hand to discuss the growth of the homebuilding industry, as well as job and career opportunities. Participants will be divided into two categories – those with construction experience and those with little or no experience. Those in the second category will be offered the opportunity to enroll into a free 72-hour Work Readiness Credential Program offered by the Community College District.

The Job Exploration Day will be held at 9 a.m. Sept. 29 at 124 Del Rosa Drive in San Bernardino. It will be followed by a hiring event, tentatively scheduled for November.

To pre-register for the Job Exploration Day, please go to www.biabuild.com/jobs.