Carpenters Training Committee for Northern California

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TRAINING COMMITTee FOR NORTHeRN CALIFORNIA (CtCNC)

The Joint Labor-Management Sponsor of School-to-Work • Pre-Apprenticeship • Apprenticeship • Health & Safety Journey-Level Advancement • Leadership & Supervision • Certification and Qualifications Programs www.ctcnc.org Training: It’s what we do

People say that knowledge is power, and this is true in our industry. The more trade-related knowledge you have, the more valuable you are to the employer. As a union, we know that training is the keystone of our trade, that being a union member means you know what you’re doing.

In Northern California, member training is done by the Carpenters Training Trust Fund for Northern California (CTTFNC). We are committed to train members at any career level, from pre-apprenticeship all the way to leadership training for members who want to run work. PRE-APPRENTICESHIP

Pre-apprenticeship is a six-week boot camp style program where students learn a variety of subjects and skills. Graduates of the program are accepted as apprentices and will begin the apprenticeship program. During the six weeks, the pre-apprentices learn, among other things, basic math skills, how to use many different hand and power tools safely, and the fundamentals of how to frame with wood and metal. They must pass a skills test that includes measuring, cutting, drilling and nailing. The six-week program requires a solid commitment, one that we are looking for in our members. APPRENTICESHIP

When a person becomes an apprentice, they start out in a six-month probationary period in which they must meet the standards of the apprenticeship. This includes attending all mandatory training, reporting work hours and agreeing to other standards upon indenturing.

Much of the training the CTTFNC does is through its various apprenticeships. We offer programs in Carpentry, Drywall/ Lathing, Pile Driving, Millwrighting, Mill and Cabinet Making, Scaffold Erecting, Acoustical Installation, Modular Installation, Hardwood Floor Laying and Insulation. All programs combine academic learning and hands-on training.

One example of this is the Carpenter’s bridge-building class, where apprentices build a 30’ x 30’ section of a lost deck overpass and learn to read CALTRANS blueprints. Pile Driver and Millwright apprentices, among others, will take a course in rigging that includes practicing signaling with an actual crane.

Each class is 36 hours long, with apprentices attending classes four times a year. Every six months, students receive a raise to the next level of training, provided they have passed two classes and accumulated 600 work hours.

As the industry changes, we keep pace with our curriculum, for example, adding classes in PlanGrid and Bluebeam training to our blueprint classes. Our goal in apprenticeship is to turn out knowledgeable journey-level workers who have a set of skills to offer the employer. Training does not need to stop once a member becomes a journeyperson, we have a large roster of classes included in our journey-level training. JOURNEY-lEVEl TRAININg The journey-level program offers classes to help the members acquire skills they lack, or add skills in new technologies to keep pace with the changes on the jobsite. For example, a popular class is the set up and use of total station instruments to do layout. In addition, journey-level training offers health and safety classes that help workers stay safe and safely operate equipment. Examples include

OSHA 10 and 30, forklift and MEWP with UBC certifications and First Aid/

CPR. We also work with employers to develop classes they need for a specific job, including visiting a jobsite for onthe-job training. Journey-level training is usually done at nights and on the weekend, so working members can attend without missing any work.

IN-PERSON ANd ONlINE OPTIONS

CTTFNC implemented a new program for journey-level training beginning in November. An instructor is available from 12:00-8:30pm on Tuesday–Friday and 7:00am-1:00pm on Saturday. This instructor will answer trade related questions in

Carpenter apprentices at the Fairfield Training Center.