Celebrating a Year of Firsts: Build California’s One-Year Anniversary

We’re switching out our hard hats for party hats because… it’s our birthday! Today, the Build California Initiative turns one, and there’s so much to celebrate.

We said we were building something big, and that’s just what we’ve done. During the last 12 months, we’ve grown and learned so much, all while staying true to our mission: to inspire, engage, and activate the next generation of California’s construction workforce.

Together, we’re leading the way for construction workforce development in the Golden State, connecting people with the tools and training they need to be successful in our industry and become part of the construction family. To date, Build California has reached over 4.4 million people with the rallying call – you too can Build A Legacy™ in today’s construction industry.

We’re seriously excited about it, and we hope you are too. Here’s some of the cool stuff we’ve been up to in our first year…

Coalition Building

We’ve got a really big team! With the best and brightest in the industry, we work together to get. things. done.

If there is one adage in construction that rings true, it’s that nothing great is built alone. We took this to heart and built a coalition of 32 visionaries, rule-breakers, movers, and shakers and got right to work.

Our diverse network of people and organizations — from AGC members, public agencies, private owners, associations, unions, apprenticeship programs, non-profits, and more — is united by the need for this initiative and a shared passion to usher in the next generation.

We’re spreading the word about Build California, sharing our stories, and why we think the industry is as great as it is — and can be. There’s strength in numbers, and we love our team.

“The only missing piece to a successful career in the trades was exposure, but the construction industry has found a champion in Build California. Their team has created an information pipeline to a much-needed future workforce through tech and outreach. This group has improved the industry and changed people’s lives through good-paying jobs and for that we thank you.”

Josh Raper, Regional Manager. Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters

School Partnerships

Bringing awareness about our mission isn’t enough. We’re putting our money where our mouth is to bring action, and we’re doing this through our school partnership program – which has reached more than 3,700 students within the first year!

Through this program, we connect directly with eager students by providing career education resources, hosting school activation events, doing live demos, having virtual competitions, and more. All of this means we can help students to be apprenticeship ready as soon as they are able to enter the workforce. (We think that’s pretty cool!)

We know that choosing a career path is not always an easy decision, so we’re doing our very best to make sure we’re getting in front of students and showing them all of the opportunities available to them in construction.

The next generation is waiting for us, and we’re putting our best foot forward for students with these partnerships.

Ambassador Program

This type of endeavor is only as powerful as the industry partners that participate, so we leverage our team of diverse volunteers of 45+ construction ambassadors!

This team of industry professionals will work in tandem with the AGC staff to spread the word about Build California and the opportunities available within the industry.

With ambassadors ranging in age from 20 to 70 years old, they represent the construction family at all stages of life and experience. They speak their truth about the construction life, giving audiences a unique glimpse into the day-to-day on the job site and beyond.

We’ve even adapted this program to today’s virtual landscape, giving them the power to engage with people how they need it. We’re excited to continue empowering this team of industry professionals to share their passion with the next generation.

#IYouWe Series

Our #IYouWe Instagram Live series is revolutionizing the industry to champion diversity, inclusion, and equity like never before. We’re reaching young people where they are and using our digital platforms to meaningfully engage them about topics that like “Allyship in Construction” and “Black Leaders in Construction Speak.”

We are a big, beautiful construction family filled with passionate, hard-working, goal-oriented people. But we know there is always room for more diversity, more open-mindedness, more perspectives, and more amplifying of marginalized voices in every industry – including construction.

We aim to be a unifying force within our industry through our #IYouWe interview series as we open up the dialogue about the things that matter more than ever.

#IYouWe is Build California’s commitment to leave the construction industry a little better than we found it. To appreciate and uplift the diverse voices in our industry. To provide more educational opportunities. To do the work together.