County Executive’s Office

Important note: the following recommendation was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 6, 2016:

DISTRICT 5 (Supervisor Adrienne J. Tissier) FY 2016-17 Measure A Request

San Mateo County Union Community Alliance Trades Introduction Program $95,000 One-Time Grant

This is a request for a one-time grant totaling $95,000 that will provide funding to the San Mateo County Union Community Alliance for the Trades Introduction Program (TIP).

TIP is a certificated, 120-hour pre-apprenticeship training course introducing trainees to the wide variety of construction trades in partnership with union apprenticeship programs and community and education partners in the area. The County Manager’s Office will work with San Mateo County Union Community Alliance’s staff on terms of the grant agreement for this one-time contribution. TIP began with a group of Building and Construction Trades leaders working together to get a better pool of applicants for apprenticeship programs. TIP is an innovative attempt in the workforce development arena in this region.

For instance, TIP links the community college directly with the apprenticeships to engage the unions, bring in the workforce development system and find community funding and support. The program received state and federal funding—from the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sustainable Communities Partnership, Prop 39/California Workforce Investment Board and PG&E. Specifically TIP delivers pre-apprentice training to approximately 25 attendees per session that will sustain the County’s construction industry, create qualified workers to fortify the labor needs as the baby boomer era construction workers retire in the coming years.

In addition, TIP assists trainees with supportive services such as clothing, parking fees and gas cards as needed. TIP then assists graduates with placement into trade apprenticeships and construction related jobs working directly with employers and their placement agencies. Placement is always subject to available work in the region, which is expected to be brisk over the next five years. TIP is working with the Building Trades Council and local contractors to ensure that large projects in the County give preference to TIP graduates, ensuring a high-quality workforce and placement opportunities for TIP.

A recent breakdown of the 55 TIP graduates to date placed into apprenticeships by trade is as follows:

The County Manager’s Office will work with the Human Services Agency (HSA) and the San Mateo County Union Community Alliance on the Trades Introduction Program performance objectives for the County’s Measure A funds in this agreement.

Performance objectives will track the use of these one-time funds used to train approximately 50 attendees over 2017-18 and include offsetting the following expense categories: Salaries (such as Instructor, Program Director, Industry Liaison, Placement Coordinator and various support personnel) and Direct Program Costs (such as Tools, Instruction Modules, Textbooks, Insurance, Indirect Overhead and Supportive Services). In addition to tracking number of attendees for the two classes, completion rates and apprenticeship placements for their graduates, SMCUCA will monitor subsequent job placements for informational purposes only. 

Total Measure A Request: $95,000

The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of a Grant Agreement providing for the County’s confirmation the funds are expended for the purposes stated herein.

Important note: this is a copy of the official report -- item 9 on the Board's agenda.