PHOTO RELEASE: High-Speed Rail Authority Recognizes 12th Cohort Who Completed 12-Week Pre-Apprenticeship Program

March 28, 2024

FRESNO, Calif. –The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today recognized 16 students who completed the 12-week, Central Valley Training Center pre-apprenticeship program. This cohort was honored at a graduation ceremony at the Selma Arts Center with families and dignitaries in attendance.

The pre-apprenticeship training program is aimed at serving veterans, at-risk young adults, minority, and low-income populations in the Central Valley. Students learn about more than 10 different construction trades from journeyman-level experts and exit the program with several industry-specific certifications and job placement assistance for a year after graduation.

The 12th cohort graduates.

Partnerships across the Central Valley and the State have contributed to the ongoing success of the Central Valley Training Center and high-speed rail project. The Central Valley Training Center is a project of the Authority, in partnership with the City of Selma, Fresno Economic Development Corporation, the Fresno, Madera, Kings, Tulare Building Trades Council, and the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission. High-speed rail contractors including Tutor-Perini/Zachry/Parsons and Dragados-Flatiron Joint Venture along with various subcontractors have either committed or interviewed graduates of the program to join their workforce.

“It feels weird that I completed the [Central Valley Training Center] program, but I’m excited to see where I end up. I’m excited to get working. My advice to women is to step up and do it. Sometimes the things that scare you the most end up having the best rewards. I started out scared not knowing what I’m getting my self into and now I’m graduating. I’m the first person in my family to do a program like this.”
– Teresa Bynum-Goad
Graduate of the Central Valley Training Center who hopes to be a Carpenter.

“For me, time was ticking and I was looking for an opportunity, a career. I was interested in [joining] a union, but I didn’t know much about it. But once I joined this pre-apprenticeship program, I learned more and more about it. The Central Valley Training Center has helped set me up for a career, a future, and on a path that I want to be.”
– Sergio Huerta
Graduate of the Central Valley Training Center who hopes to be an Electrician

Last week, the Authority announced that more than 13,000 good paying construction jobs have been created since construction began on the high-speed rail project. More than 70% of the jobs created go back to residents living in the Central Valley. On average, nearly 1,400 individuals are dispatched each day to a high-speed rail construction site.

This cohort has funding was solely funded from the U.S. Economic Development Administration through the Good Jobs Challenge. To learn more about the Central Valley Training Center, visit www.cvtcprogram.com.

There are currently more than 25 active construction sites in California’s Central Valley, with the Authority having also fully environmentally cleared 422 miles of the high-speed rail program from the Bay Area to Los Angeles County. For the latest on high-speed rail construction, visit www.buildhsr.com.

The button below links to recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings. Files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

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