Building schools, constructing careers

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” isn’t such an easy question for kids growing up in this economy. If students want to work both with their heads and their hands - especially if they’re interested in a green future - a career in construction might be a good choice.

For many San Diego high school students, how the Proposition S construction projects are managed may determine whether that good choice is available.

Last November, when San Diego voters passed Proposition S, we approved not only spending money to make our schools safe and efficient, but also the creation of jobs in the construction industry. Now, a Construction Careers Project Stabilization Agreement gives us the opportunity to make sure these jobs include pathways to high quality careers for students and local men and women.

The Construction Careers PSA is a binding contract being negotiated between the San Diego Unified School District and local building trades workers to govern the hiring and working conditions for Proposition S construction projects. It ensures that the construction jobs will benefit San Diego residents, including the students who will be our future workforce.

Historically, construction careers and jobs in manufacturing have provided workers with opportunities to join the middle class. The wages and benefits from these jobs helped families succeed and neighborhoods thrive. In this economy, that reality has shifted. We have high unemployment and many manufacturing jobs have been replaced by low-paying service sector work. These changes have helped to weaken our educational system and lessen the quality of life in our communities. Now the construction trades hold a singular position in providing middle-class pathways for people who don’t go to college.

In this time of economic uncertainty, it is important that our taxpayer dollars generated through Proposition S are invested in creating good middle-class careers. By implementing a meaningful Construction Careers PSA, the school board can create a policy to hire local workers first and to use training programs that give priority to San Diego Unified graduates.

Construction jobs are temporary by nature. The electricians, plumbers, ironworkers and other craftspeople who build San Diego are always building themselves out of work. Yet, because of PSA contracts that provide construction workers with uninterrupted healthcare and benefits, construction can be a great career.

When we ask our kids “What do you want to be when you grow up?” we ask because we want the best for them. We don’t imagine our daughters and sons working dead-end jobs with no benefits. We imagine them being healthy, happy and prosperous. We imagine them going to the doctor if they need healthcare and getting the continual training and skills development they need to help make society more sustainable.

Negotiating a Construction Careers PSA means that a generation of local San Diego Unified graduates who want to make a career in construction will have an opportunity to make the transition from high school to apprenticeship to career. During that transition, students will earn college credit, have no student loans, have health insurance and vest in a real retirement plan. It also means that some of San Diego’s skilled craftspeople can put their talents to work directly in their communities while supporting their families - all while making our schools better places for our kids. This agreement builds a stronger future for San Diego Unified students and for the entire community.

Judy Ki is a retired San Diego Unified school teacher. David Valladolid is President and CEO of the Parent Institute for Quality Education. Both are members of the San Diego Coalition for a Strong Middle Class.

Tags: SDNN

This entry was posted on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 11:43 am and is filed under Columns, Education, Job & Careers, Local News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.