Dear Richmond City Councilmembers,
In my role as Coordinator of Career Technical Education (CTE) in West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), I am pleased to support the Contra Costa Building Trades Council's collaboration with our district. We are seeing more and more students express interest in trades careers, (Out of 700 current WCCUSD Students surveyed, over 8.5% indicated that their goal after high school was either trade school or apprenticeship), and a Project Labor Agreement would build on this momentum by expanding access to meaningful, family-sustaining careers for our graduates.
This Summer, 25 students from Kennedy High School (JFKHS) participated in the one-week Summer Trades Program, developed in partnership between the WCCUSD's College & Career & Expanded Learning departments, and led by the Construction Trades Workforce Initiative (CTWI), the workforce development partner of the Contra Costa Building Trades. In one short week, students practiced basic construction skills, built sturdy benches, and went on field trips to various Contra Costa building trades union Joint Apprenticeship Training Centers (JATs) across our county. Students reported an average 68% increase in their knowledge of different construction trades and their functions. Additionally, multiple WCCUSD students who had finished our construction pathway at Kennedy were able to engage in summer skilled trades internships where they were placed with construction companies in order to bolster their skills, build resumes, and start to create a professional network. The students were paid thanks to the grant CTWI received, and processed via WCCUSD's partnership with the Ed Fund.
This represents one of several projects WCCUSD and CTWI have implemented together. In 2024-25, we launched an official Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) Pre-Apprenticeship class to serve as the capstone course for Kennedy High School's Building and Construction Pathway. The course ran during the school day, and any student who had previously passed construction or welding courses was eligible to enroll. It also earned students 10 credits toward their high school diploma, with the added benefit of an honors-level GPA boost.
The nationally recognized "MC3" program meets pre-apprenticeship requirements set by the National Building Trades Council (NABTU). Certified by all union affiliates, including the Contra Costa Building Trades, the course integrates academic knowledge and technical skills through hands-on, project-based learning, while also featuring guest presentations, workshops, and field trips led by industry partners. In its first year at Kennedy, all 18 high school students passed the course and earned a union-recognized MC3 certificate, notably the same credential earned by RichmondBUILD graduates.
WCCUSD's partnership with CTWI and the Contra Costa Building Trades is a model partnership between education and industry with tangible employment outcomes for our students. Now that this pipeline has been established, the City Council's role in helping secure jobs for our students is more important than ever. WCCUSD students deserve the opportunity to enter family-sustaining careers via skilled trades unions, and the Contra Costa Building Trades has fulfilled its commitment to making this a reality. WCCUSD strongly supports the efforts o f the Contra Costa Building Trades in our community.
Sincerely, 8/18/25
Coordinator of Career Technical Educatio
West Contra Costa Unified School District