Job Exploration Day focuses on construction trades

A Job Exploration Day in San Bernardino drew nearly 100 curious job seekers who were able to interact with educators and employers eager to fill jobs in the rapidly expanding Inland Empire home building industry.

The event, sponsored by the Building Industry Association Baldy View Chapter and the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board, was in response to the growing demand for construction trades workers.

Among the speakers and employers were representatives of Boudreau Pipeline, Taylor Trim and Supply, Trilogy Plumbing, Infinity Plumbing, West Coast Drywall & Paint and Innovative Structural Engineering.

Gordon Nichols, Senior Director of Government Affairs of the BIA’s Baldy View Chapter, kicked off the event by telling attendees they could learn important skills and noting that “homebuilding touches every aspect of our lives.

“A new home is not an iPhone 8, an iPhone X, or a new pair of shoes. It is a necessity for life,” Nichols said. “In San Bernardino County alone we need to build 10,000 homes every year. A wide variety of contractors and subcontractors will need skilled employees. These are not jobs we can export to China or Mexico. They are here to stay.”

Tim Vasquez, Interim Manager Workforce Development for the San Bernardino Community College District, which also co-sponsored the event, said job seekers who enrolled in a free 72-hour career readiness program would receive a “Workforce Readiness Credential” and promised it would lead to an interview with one of 1,100 companies that are part of the BIA.

“Good employees are not only well-skilled, but they have a good attitude and the company’s needs in mind,” Vasquez said, noting registration takes place on Oct. 6 and classes begin on Oct. 27.

The reasons for growth in the homebuilding are two-fold, Dace Keefe of Trilogy Plumbing explained. Not only is there a housing shortage in California — and a great need for new housing, but experienced workers of the Baby Boomer generation are beginning to step-aside.

“It’s leaving a gap in our industry,” he said. “The good news is that wages are outpacing the minimum wage and there are opportunities for workers.”

So what are employers looking for?

Keefe presented a list:

— Ability to be at the job site, as in possessing reliable transportation and a willingness to commute;

— Openness to training;

— Daily attendance;

— A positive attitude.

Keefe said building trades are especially interested in hiring millennials.

“They are our best trainers,” he said. “They think and do things differently that our older workers and they have stronger communications skills and are better able to use technology. They are bringing challenging and unconventional thinking to our industry and growing great opportunities.”

Rodrigo Guzman, 34, of Rialto, attended the session and said he would likely seek the workforce readiness certificate offered by Vasquez. Then, he will test the waters for a job.

“I was a laborer, but I like what I’ve heard here today,” he said. “I think there are opportunities for me and others like me. I’m glad I was here today to hear what they had to say.”