Girls from all across San Diego County lit up the classrooms of North County Trade Tech High School when the school and Girls Incorporated of San Diego County hosted their first ever "Girls in Construction" workshop. The free event was open to females entering the 9th grade and was held on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Trade Tech campus, 2585 Business Park Drive in Vista.

The event was sponsored by Associated Builders and Contractors, who taught and spoke at the event. Girls made a wooden toolbox, toured Trade Tech’s state of the art facility with fully equipped construction labs, and interacted with teachers and industry partners including women mentors in the various trades, construction management and the architectural professions.

Trade Tech CEO Doreen Quinn says young women should not hesitate to enter the less traditional career path of construction. “Construction needs bright, educated, motivated young women. It is a thriving industry that takes a rigorous education starting in high school and going through college. Working in construction whether as an architect, designer, electrician or any other specialty also provides a stable and sustainable future; Trade Tech is geared to prepare each and every student for their best future possible.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Association of Women in Construction, the average number of women employed in the construction industry has steadily increased since 2002 with women accounting for approximately 10 percent of the construction workforce. “Women are vital to the construction industry,” says Sherry Yarbrough, executive director of Associated Builders and Contractors Apprenticeship Trust and president of the NAWIC Education Foundation. “There are endless opportunities for young women and we want to encourage them to consider construction as a career path.”

“Women in construction are becoming more and more prevalent,” said Lori Butler, executive director of Girls Inc. San Diego which is also headquartered in Vista. “Young girls need to know that they too can be empowered to work in this industry and they shouldn’t just assume it is for males.”  Girls Incorporated of San Diego County is an affiliate of the National Girls Incorporated; a nonprofit organization formed in 1864. Formerly Girls Club of America, Girls Inc. recognizes that gender stereotypes still limit girls' potential. Girls Inc. challenges girls to ask questions about themselves and the world in which they live.

North County Trade Tech High School is an innovative public charter school. It provides project-driven instruction in electrical, plumbing, HVAC, carpentry and construction management, all consistent with modern green building design and integrated with California state academic standards.  Trade Tech is currently accepting 100 ninth-grade students through a publicly-held lottery for the Fall 2008 school year, growing to 400 students across grades 9 to 12 by 2011. Students will learn through hands-on, project-based instruction while focusing on leadership development, civic engagement, on-the-job training opportunities and internships and community service. Trade Tech graduates meets all California State University and University of California eligibility requirements while also preparing students for an accelerated apprenticeship in the trade of their choice.

Trade Tech is a non-profit educational charter school and is tuition-free. It has received financial support through the Girard Foundation; EdVisions Schools (a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded network), the West Foundation, the California Department of Education; and industry groups including the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) among others.  

More information can be found at www.tradetechhigh.org or by calling 760-598-0782.

Graduation 2008

Mayor Jerry Sander’s Declares June 20, 2008,

Associated Builders and Contractors Day in San Diego

Associated Builders and Contractors is proud to graduate 105 registered apprentices in the trades of Electrical, Plumbing/Pipefitting, Electronic Systems Technician, and Sheet Metal. 

Mayor Jerry Sanders issued a proclamation that makes June 20, 2008, Associated Builders and Contractors Day in San Diego.  We are humbled that he sees fit to honor us this way, and we thank him for his generosity and thoughtfulness.  This proclamation will be on display at the ABC Training Facility in Poway. 

Continuing a career in construction in these times shows determination and commitment to the dreams of their future.   We are gratified that these men and women have stuck with their education, and that their employers, ABC Member Contractors, have supported them during the time they were going to school.  This is proof that the “hands-on training” the contractors give the apprentices, coupled with the classroom instruction they get in the ABC facility, is truly a recipe for success.    

ABC Graduation 2008 was a huge hit!  Held this year at the Mission Valley Sheraton, the Mardi-Gras themed event was attended by over 270 people. 

The ABC Apprentice Training program is a 3 to 4 year program that has been called "exemplary" by the California DAS.  We believe our current students and our graduates personify that description, as they have been trained in the finest facility by the best in the business. 

If you would like to see more graduation photos, click here!

Congratulations to all of our 2008 graduates!  We wish you luck in your future.   

Associated Builders and Contractors
Returns from the 2008 National Convention
in Puerto Rico
a Silver Medal Winner in Sheet Metal

On December, 1, 2007, Associated Builders and Contractors, San Diego Training Trust, selected three Craft Champions to represent them at the ABC National Craft Championships.  They were Chris Gillogly (Electrical), and Lance Zangger (Sheet Metal) and Jessee Emerick (Plumbing.)  All three local winners received cash, tools and an all expenses paid trip for two to the national competition.  

This year, Lance Zangger (pictured center) has brought home the Silver Medal in Sheet Metal from the ABC National Craft Championship competition in San Juan, Puerto Rico!  Lance works for California Comfort Systems and has been an apprentice with ABC since January 2005.   The competition pits apprentices and trainees from across the nation against one another in 13 trades:  Carpentry, Metal Building, Electrical, Millwright, Fire Sprinkler, Pipefitting, HVAC, Plumbing, Instrumentation Fitting, Sheet metal, Insulation, Pipe Welding, Masonry, and Structural Welding.  Each competition includes a written exam and practical performance testing. Medals and cash prizes are then awarded to the top finishers within each trade.  The distinguished competition emphasizes the important role craft skills training plays in construction, by evaluating contestants' knowledge of their craft as well as their skill and talent. 

ABC San Diego considers all three local competitors winners, as each produced excellent projects.  In 1987, National ABC launched a nationwide construction crafts competition, and encouraged apprentices from around the country to compete against other seasoned apprentices.  Both the national and the local competitions highlight the important role that craft skills training plays in the construction industry, and both evaluate the contestants' knowledge of the craft as well as their skill and talent.

San Diego’s Craft Championships take place the first Saturday in December every year.