The industrial/manufacturing sector in Riverside and San Bernardino counties needs more people than ever to keep business running. Chaffey College is doing its part to heed the call by offering free pre-apprenticeship training to students in the region who might not otherwise have the opportunity to take advantage of these well-paying jobs.
“The Chaffey College Industrial, Electrical and Mechanical Pre-Apprenticeship program was honestly a game-changer for me,” says Carlos Gonzalez, a former student in the program. “It gave me hands-on experience and the technical skills I needed, but more than that, it opened the door to opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
A $1.2 million grant from California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) to the Industrial Technical Learning Center (InTech) at Chaffey College will ultimately train 100 students, free of charge. The 472-hour program provides foundational skills or basic knowledge in industrial, electrical, and mechanical fields, leading to an apprenticeship or other further training opportunities and ultimately employment as Industrial Maintenance Technicians for various employers in the region. In other words, this valuable training in the basics launches students into more advanced training for in-demand job opportunities.
“It helped me understand the basics of what it takes to make a machine work,” says former student Valeria Ceballos. “Having that background knowledge has really helped me out in the field.”
Irene Gishwiller, Supervisor of Student Experience and Learning at Chaffey College’s InTech Center, says students learn the mechanical side of how to repair, maintain, and troubleshoot equipment. “We are now training our third cohort of students,” she says.
The COYA grant for the program is managed by the California Department of Industrial Relations. It allows California Community Colleges to offer free training, along with a $6,000 stipend, to students between the ages of 16 and 24 who meet specific qualifications. To qualify, students must be current or former foster youth, Pell-eligible, enrolled in a Title 1 school, residing in a high-poverty census tract, formerly incarcerated, are a youth parent, or a person with a disability.
The InTech Center provides industrial skills training not just for students, but also employed workers, and job-seekers looking for new career opportunities. Students learn from experienced instructors in state-of-the-art labs, gaining practical experience with the tools and technologies used by industry professionals.
Yudith Granero, Work Based Learning Liaison at Chaffey’s InTech Center, helps these students find apprenticeships and employment. She says the majority of graduates go into Industrial Maintenance Technician roles. Some individuals go into roles such as maintenance mechanic, process technician, electrician, or other technician positions.
“The employers hiring [former students] span manufacturing, logistics, packaging, and service industries,” she says.
Employers include Lubrizol, DrinkPAK, Skechers, OnTrac, Container Supply Co, Anheuser-Busch, FedEx, Magic Laundry Services, Comar, and Six Flags.
Valeria Caballos now works for Aerotek, which is an agency that partners with the sneaker and sportwear brand Skechers.
“I’m currently a C Mechanic at the Skechers warehouse. My job basically consists of making sure there are no jams that stop production. This also includes fixing shuttles and lifts,” she says.
Carlos Gonzalez is working as a Maintenance Technician Trainee at FedEx.
“It’s a hands-on role where I’m learning how to keep conveyors, motors, and other equipment running,” he says. “I get to shadow experienced techs, pick up troubleshooting skills, and actually apply what I learned in training to real-world situations.”
He credits the Intech Center with helping him get the job:
“I was able to get hired at FedEx because of InTech. Honestly, I couldn’t have gotten this job without them. They not only trained me for the role but also connected me directly with FedEx and even put in a good word for me. More specifically, my job liaison, Yudith, gave me so many resources to succeed — from practice interviews to resume help.”
Demand to fill these roles is sky-high. In the Inland Empire/Desert region, the industrial maintenance and automation occupational group is projected to grow 13% from 2022 to 2027, creating 434 annual job openings and increasing total employment from 3,654 to 4,120 jobs (Lightcast). Industrial Machinery Mechanics represents the largest segment with 3,429 current positions and 403 expected annual openings. (Industrial Maintenance and Automation in the Inland Empire/Desert Region, 2023).
Former students are thankful for the world of opportunity the COYA-supported Pre-Apprenticeship program offered them.
“I truly believe that [this program] has offered me a lot more opportunities than I would have expected,“ says Valeria Caballos.
“The program … helped me build my confidence … and showed me that I could actually do this kind of work,” says Gonzalez. “I really don’t think I’d be where I am today — starting my career at FedEx — without it. It set me on the path to the kind of life and career I’ve been aiming for.”