Keiarra Mullins, a mom with four kids, had some history of legal troubles and had never used a hammer or a steel measuring tape. But she followed a friend of hers on Instagram as the friend documented her journey with the Emeryville nonprofit Rising Sun’s Opportunity Build program. Mullins investigated, found that completing one of the program’s cohorts offered potential access to one of 30 building trades—and signed up. Graduating last year, she now has a full-time job as a cement mason.
“They helped me change my life,” she said in a phone interview.
All signs point to a building trades jobs revival. A study by the jobs site Indeed reported, “For many job seekers, [the] combination [of] high demand job security and a clear path to advancement is what makes the trades appealing.” The study emphasizes that retirement among current tradespeople has created a shortage of 500,000 unfilled jobs in manufacturing alone.
But Gen-Z may be changing that. Education news site University Business calls it the “toolbelt” generation, and states, “interest in going to trade schools has nearly doubled among teens and adults since 2017.”
The interest isn’t limited to Gen-Z. Christine Vertiz comes from a family of white-collar workers. She worked as a property manager, but during the pandemic decided to make a big change. “I can do the contractors’ jobs,” she said during a recent interview.
She joined an Opportunity Build cohort in 2023, received her MC3—pre-apprenticeship training program for construction—certification, and now works as a pile driver, a member of Local 34, and one of very few women in the field.
“I wanted a union that will support me as a tradeswoman,” she said.
Both of these stories are familiar to Marlin Jeffreys, director of Opportunity Build, and reflect his own experience as well. He came to Rising Sun in 2017 with the aim of becoming an electrician. Recently released after 26 years in prison, he needed a fresh start into a profession that paid well, offered a solid career and, importantly, didn’t reject him outright because of his background.
When his cohort finished, he was asked to help with program recruitment, then became assistant program manager and has now been the program’s director for two years.
“A variety of people from 18-to-mid-40s are served by the program,” he said. “We see more and more younger people, since schools are pushing hands-on training.” Rising Sun is partnered with the Alameda Unified School District.
BUILDING FUTURES Education news site University Business calls Gen Z the ‘toolbelt’ generation, and states, ‘interest in going to trade schools has nearly doubled among teens and adults since 2017.’
People primarily apply online, then are given a tour to learn about the process and interview with two staff people, and are drug-tested. Mullins noted that applicants, other than high-school students, need a high school diploma or GED, a Social Security number, a valid driver’s license and “reliable transportation,” but that the program can assist with some of these requirements. Each cohort lasts 10-12 weeks.
One of the biggest advantages of Opportunity Build, interviewees said, is that cohort graduates are on its case load for 12 months after graduation. Any apprenticeship or job openings are immediately reported to graduates. This includes trades such as labor, ironworkers, boilermakers, pipe fitters, painters, plumbers, those mentioned above and many more.
Mullins wasn’t surprised to receive some pushback in a male-dominated field. “I had to prove myself. I was asked to lift stacks of four-by-sixes to show I could do it,” she said. But she was never late, never missed a day of work and is now accepted as part of the team. Yet, she said, “I still get my hair done! I still do everything I’ve always done.” But now she has a job that helps her provide fully for her family—and she’s proud of what she does.
Vertiz wanted a job on and near water, and now works with Richmond-based Manson Construction. She’s worked on the Bay Bridge, in BART tunnels and on piers on Alcatraz. “I encourage women to look into Rising Sun,” she said. “My cohort was the biggest [the nonprofit] had ever had. They took a huge gamble with 42 students.”
For many, it pays off. Last year, Jeffreys said, 62% of its cohort graduates were placed in apprenticeship programs.
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, 1116 36th St., Emeryville. 510.665.1501. risingsunopp.org