The $4.8 billion
Water System Improvement Program has generated millions of craft hours and
thousands of job opportunities for residents of the Bay Area counties served by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).
The SFPUC
Infrastructure Division’s Workforce and Economic Program Services Bureau works
closely with participating contractors to support their efforts to employ local
journey and apprentice workers on their projects.
To date, 48% of all workers
are residents of the agency’s 7-county service territory, which includes Bay
Area residents who receive SFPUC services or who are impacted as a result of
WSIP construction activity. Furthermore, 71% of all apprentice hours have been
worked by SFPUC service territory resident apprentices.
On the Calaveras
Dam Replacement Project, for example, three residents of Sunol have found
successful employment and professional development opportunities as a result of
this once-in-a-lifetime project. Two residents, Mr. Anthony DeValle and Mr.
Travis Hoxie, have recently completed their respective apprenticeship programs,
obtaining milestones such as advanced certifications and more than 3600 hours
of on the job training. Mr. Justin Gronley, also of Sunol, is nearing
completion of his apprenticeship training, and will soon “journey out”.
Mr. DeValle
expressed that, for him, the best part of achieving journeyman status is the
opportunity to reach back, “Helping to teach the younger kids by sharing
lessons I’ve learned from the more experienced workers.”
Mr. Hoxie agrees
that “passing it on” is a major benefit. Travis also liked “gaining more
education and developing one’s professional skills necessary to make it in the
construction industry.”
Some of the
skills and experience they highlighted while working on the Calaveras Project
were: environmental remediation, electrical work, tree cutting, concrete work,
dirt work, asphalt, power tools, carpentry, iron work, and traffic control.
They even learned complex skills such as rappelling as part of the complex
structural work.
Mr. Gronley is
especially grateful that the Calaveras project’s timing and location has
benefited him. “It’s nice to be able to succeed right out of high school,
participate on this project, and still be close to home.”
The Calaveras Dam
Replacement Project team would like to congratulate these hard-working
individuals on their recent success and express their gratitude for their
efforts, and the efforts of all of the workers and staff who are working on
this integral project of the WSIP program.
Calaveras Dam's newest journeymen from Left to Right:
Anthony DeValle; Travis Hoxie; Justin Gronley
Congratulations!
