California Invests $26M to Recruit More Women into Construction

The California Department of Industrial Relations awarded 25 construction apprenticeship programs $26 million in Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeship grants to increase access to construction careers for women and disadvantaged communities.

This is the second round of ERiCA grant funding. During the first round, $25 million in funds were disbursed to 19 programs.

The ERiCA funds will support three core areas:

• $11.8 million will go towards offsetting the cost of childcare for pre-apprentices and apprentices.
• $7.2 million to support targeted recruitment efforts to improve gender representation and advance equity.
• $7 million to improve worksite culture by providing mentoring and mental health support. This funding supports anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training for construction crews to create a more welcoming environment for all.

In this round, 25 building trades organizations that work with programs to recruit, support, and retain workers are receiving funding. Awardee highlights include: Cerritos College received $1.25 million to be used to support its field ironwork apprenticeship program; Los Angeles and Orange Counties Building Trades Council Apprenticeship Readiness Fund received $2.5 million for childcare, recruitment, and worksite culture; Associated Builders and Contractors of Southern California received $550,000 in funding, and over the next two years, the organization is working to double the number of women enrolled in its programs.

Topics California Construction