Just about any time you set foot on campus at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, students are acquiring skills they need to be able to pursue good-paying careers in construction.
Delores Tarin, for example, is a young woman who spoke with the Construction Citizen Team during an evening welding class.
“The fire and the power is cool,” Tarin said. "After this, if I don't get a job with my new certification then I’ll continue and get my Associate's Degree,” she said. Tarin had previously worked as a helper on a pipeline and felt an upgrade in her skills would lead to a better-paying job.
Educators stress that those opportunities aren’t “just jobs.” We're talking about careers.
Now, the San Jacinto College Board of Trustees is taking a major step toward ensuring those careers are even more fulfilling and sustainable by enrolling their next big construction project in the Construction Career Collaborative, or C3. It is the first institution of higher education to do so.
“San Jacinto College is proud to be the first C3 partner in higher education,” said Bryan Jones, San Jacinto College associate vice chancellor, facilities services.
As Construction Citizen readers are aware, C3 is an alliance of responsible Owners, Contractors, and Specialty Contractors working to “positively affect the issues facing the commercial construction industry in the Greater Houston region to create a safe, skilled and sustainable craft workforce.”
The group focuses on financial security, health and well-being, safety training, and craft training for workers in the industry.
Those C3 principles will be incorporated in the school’s new Central Campus Welcome Center. It’s a $22 million, 52,040 square-foot project designed by Page. It’ll be built by Tellepsen Builders, a C3 accredited contractor.
The Welcome Center is “part of the $425 million bond referendum approved by voters in the District in November 2015. As a C3 project, all construction workers on the project will be employees, not independent subcontractors, who will receive hourly pay with overtime and worker’s compensation insurance coverage,” per the announcement from the school.
“Additionally, the workforce will be required to have Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety credentials and will be provided with on-going safety and craft training,” the school said in a news release.
“In line with the College values of excellence and accountability, C3 is an organization that demands quality in the area of construction,” Jones said. “We expect to see better buildings, better value, and most importantly, safe projects.”
Chuck Gremillion, executive director of Construction Career Collaborative, welcomed San Jacinto College with open arms.
“The participation of the College in the C3 program demonstrates that San Jacinto College is a leader in the development of a high-quality skilled trades workforce and is dedicated to applying the C3 principles to their projects,” Gremillion said.
