California High-Speed Rail Authority Recognizes Central Valley Training Center Graduates

California High-Speed Rail Authority recognized 17 students from the Central Valley Training Center pre-apprentice program.

Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority

SELMA, Calif. – California High-Speed Rail Authority recognized 17 students from the Central Valley Training Center pre-apprentice program.

California High-Speed Rail Authority recognized 17 students from the Central Valley Training Center pre-apprentice program. The 12-week program at the training center started in 2020, and since then, 151 students have graduated. The program focuses on serving “veterans, at-risk young adults, minority, and low-income populations in the Central Valley.” It’s a no-cost program that provides construction industry training for students that allows them to gain experience working on a high-speed rail project. According to the California High-Speed Rail Authority, “the Central Valley Training Center is a project of [the rail 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.”

Students who enter the program are exposed to over 10 construction trades and graduate with “more than a dozen industry specific certifications.” In addition, graduates also receive assistance with job placement, and this includes coordination with the high-speed rail project and its contractors.

Central Valley Regional Director, Garth Fernandez, said: “We’re proud to continue to put these hardworking men and women to work by providing them with the training and experience they need to help build the next generation of California’s transportation infrastructure. . . As our project continues to move forward, the need for a skilled workforce will grow. Whether they leave this program wanting to be a carpenter, ironworker, laborer, or operator, we welcome any craftsman who is ready to help bring high-speed rail to California.”