CHSRA holds graduation ceremony for 11 students who completed the Central Valley Training Center’s pre-apprenticeship program

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) recognized 11 students who completed the Central Valley Training Center’s 12-week, pre-apprenticeship program at a graduation ceremony at the Selma Arts Center.

The pre-apprenticeship training program is aimed at serving veterans, at-risk young adults, minority, and low-income populations in the Central Valley. The no-cost program provides hands-on construction industry training for those looking to work on the nation’s first high-speed rail project.

“Continued progress on the high-speed rail project is thanks to the men and women who are on our constriction sites each day,” said Garth Fernandez, Central Valley regional director. “We’re proud to be working with our partners and help train the workforce that will bring high-speed trains to California.”

At the Central Valley Training Center, students are exposed to more than 10 different construction trades and exit the program with more than a dozen industry-specific certifications. Graduates receive job placement assistance, including coordination with the high-speed rail project and its contractors.

Since the start of the training center, 134 students have graduated, with more than 1,000 inquiring about the program.

The authority has created more than 11,000 construction jobs, with a majority of those going to residents from the Central Valley, since the start of construction. In addition, there are more than 30 active construction sites across 119 miles under construction in the Central Valley.

The Central Valley Training Center is a project of the California High-Speed 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.