In
the fall of 2011, Robert Shumate, a recent graduate of Alameda County’s Cypress
Mandela Training Center, attended the Miner Tender Preparedness Program. Shortly
thereafter, he put his training to the ultimate test at the New Irvington
Tunnel project. Robert quickly excelled
and gained the trust of his peers, learning all aspects of working in extremely
challenging and potentially dangerous conditions. Robert came to work each day
with a positive attitude and a great work ethic, and within a short period of
time, he was not only working on a tunneling project, but IN a tunnel. A feat
which surpassed the expectations of his training. In addition to providing a
stable income for himself and his family, Robert gained unique work skills
specific to mining, making him a “hot”
commodity in the industry and open to a wide range of work opportunities across
the nation.
Robert’s
success is a testament to his hard work.
His opportunity to shine was made possible by the San Francisco Public
Utilities Commission (SPFUC) and Southland Tutor Perini’s (STP) commitment to
hire locally for the $4.6B Water System Improvement Program (WSIP). In addition to Robert, half of the New
Irvington Tunnel project’s workforce is made up of local residents meeting the
goals of the SFPUC’s local hire program.
This means a portion of the ratepayers investment into improving the
Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System is also putting people to work in
communities where our projects are located.
Whether it is local workers or local small business the
SFPUC and
STP are committed to the San Francsico Bay Area
© San Francisco Public Utilities Commission R. Scheswohl
“Southland
is enthusiastic about tapping into the Bay Area’s talented and diverse
workforce”, said Michael Cash, Regional Manager for Southland Contracting, Inc. “In
addition to exceptional people like Robert, we've also provided nearly $10
million in construction contracts to local small businesses.”
The
SFPUC is committed to training future members of the Bay Area’s workforce. The WSIP goal is to have one apprentice
worker for every four journeyman workers on each capital improvement project. Tunneling is not an apprenticable trade so this contractor made sure to place junior workers in above ground roles and has exceeded this goal with 32 percent of workers in apprentice
positions.
The
Job Training Opportunity Program (JTOP) where Robert gained his training is a great example of how the SFPUC,
contractors, unions, and community-based organizations partner to create
opportunities for local residents to receive the skills, training, and support
necessary to help them attain successful and sustainable careers in
construction.
Robert Shumate (R) stands tall with Tunnel Superintendent Jack Bowling (L)
Photo by S. Bednarz, ©2012 Jacobs Associates, All Rights Reserved
