DIXON, CA (MPG) - With construction, manufacturing, and transportation as three of the fastest-growing industries in Solano County, area job seekers can find many opportunities in the trades if they have the required training completed.

Having that necessary training can make the difference when it comes to applying for competitive jobs. The Workforce Development Board of Solano County is offering a free, five-week pre-apprenticeship training for young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 that will help them to complete all the training they need for an introductory trades position at no cost to them.

The pre-apprenticeship training will be offered Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, July 11 to Aug. 15, at the Fairfield-Suisun Adult School.

“This program will truly open doors for their future,” said Nel Sweet-Davis, an employability specialist with the Workforce Development Board of Solano County and one of the organizers of the training program. “It’s more than the trades. It will encompass so many industries"'industries that are becoming very common here in Solano County. We encourage the students to see this as a kickstart program to their future in the trades or labor industry.”

The program will include four industry certifications, the Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training, construction fundamentals, concrete pouring techniques, trades math, fitness training, and more.

The first week alone, Sweet-Davis said, will include the OSHA 10 safety course, training for traffic control flaggers and confined space awareness, and first aid and CPR. The co-hort will work on construction building, framing and concrete in the second week, and will have a project they will build for hands-on training.

Once students pass the course and can apply for the unions, the Workforce Development Board of Solano County will pay the initiation fees into the unions for the first three months.

“It’s not often you find something where this is all available to you in one place,” Sweet-Davis said.

The pre-apprenticeship training is limited to 20 students. All interested students must attend one in-person informational session. There are four scheduled at the Workforce Development Board, 500 Chadbourne Road, in Fairfield:

June 1: 1 PM to 5 PM ǀ June 7: 9 AM to 1 PM ǀ June 9: 9 AM to 12 PM or 2 PM to 5 PM

Perspective students must be between the ages of 18 and 24; able to read, speak and write basic English; pass a drug test; is authorized to work in the United States; have a valid driver’s license; and have a high school diploma or GED.

For more information and to register for an informational session, please contact Joyce Ugweje at 707-863-3533 or [email protected]