Two Central Coast schools to take part in new pre-apprenticeship program

Two Central Coast high schools have been selected to participate in a pilot project this fall designed to help students earn pre-apprenticeships into the construction trade industries.

That’s according to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

Soquel High School and Salinas High School are among nine schools selected to use the “MC3,” or “Multi-Craft Core Curriculum” program. the course of study will lead students to a better-than-entry-level position or pre-apprenticeship with a number of construction trades industries.

The curriculum includes: building trades math, labor history, labor history, training to recognize and prevent hazards in construction sites, first-aid and CPR training, and an introduction to the trade industries. The MC3 program has only been previously used with adults over 18 years of age.

“Career technical education gets at the heart of what we want for our students: real-world skills and knowledge that will allow them to succeed outside our classrooms,” Torlakson said. “The MC3 program makes clear to students that what they are learning in school can have a direct effect on their careers after they leave school, keeping them engaged in their own learning.”

Staff from the California Department of Education worked with members of the California Labor Federation, North America’s Building Trades Unions, and the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California to create the MC3 program for high schools.

Teachers have received special training for the program.