Northern California Construction Training (NCCT) will host a graduation ceremony for 212 students on Saturday, June 11, 2016, at 10AM. The event highlights successful completion of intensive vocational and educational training and will be held at NCCT’s main office, located at 8516 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento, CA.
Among the graduates for this unique, nine-month program are thirty-eight clients of the Sacramento County Probation Department who have successfully reintegrated into the community. Since December 2013, a partnership between Probation, Sacramento County Office of Education and NCCT has provided opportunity for clients to complete basic educational requirements while learning a variety of skilled trades, including but not limited to carpentry, welding, cement work, electrical, plumbing, painting, landscaping, and forklift operation. Most of the Probation class graduates have already gained employment through the 22 local labor unions, including carpenters, iron workers, and laborers.
One of this year’s graduates has found tremendous value through participation in the program. Kayla A. was a single mother on the Welfare to Work program and found the inspiration to participate during one of the weekly career presentations by Mauricia, a program recruiter from NCCT.
Kayla had yet to find employment while searching on her own. “If you have a felony, good companies just won’t hire you. Mauricia said it didn’t matter if I was on probation or had a felony. She said the pay was good, but that it was hard work too.”
Kayla signed up the next day and started the program the following week.
Though unsure about what she wanted to do, Kayla knew she didn’t want a desk job but didn’t have experience in construction. “I just leapt into construction, and I liked it,” she said.
The first part of the day began with study and prep work for the high school equivalency test. “I’d tried before, but this time, I had Ms. Lear [from the Sacramento County Office of Education] believing in me, motivating me, pushing me toward success. It meant a lot to know I had that support.”
Kayla ultimately passed the test, and after that spent her free time in the mornings tutoring other students who planned to take the test.
She’s enjoyed the projects they’ve worked on in vocational training. “We built chefs tables for the Sacramento Kings chef,” said Kayla. “We also worked on Little League scorers’ booths for a neighborhood association, and picnic benches and tables for apartment complexes.”
Kayla said her two daughters, aged three and eight, are proud of her for sticking with the program and succeeding. “My three-year-old will be walking across the graduation stage with me,” she said. “I want to show her that you can do anything you can put your mind to.”
It is expected Kayla will be employed in the coming days.
