PHOTO RELEASE: Students Head into the Trades After Completing Central Valley Training Center Pre-Apprenticeship Program

December 20, 2024

SELMA, Calif. –The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today recognized 12 more students to complete the Central Valley Training Center pre-apprenticeship program located in the city of Selma. To date, 235 students have completed the program ready to venture into new careers in the trades.

The Central Valley Training Center was established in 2020 and has promoted 15 cohorts since its inception. Over the last 12 weeks, students have worked with journey-level professionals to learn about various trades and have gained several construction-related certifications to take into the field. Previous students have moved on to work for subcontractors or have been sponsored into the trades to ultimately work on the high-speed rail project.

Students have come from across the Central Valley to participate in the program. Prior to the training center, Orange Cove resident Alan Lara worked various jobs, from packing houses to poultry plants. He came to the training center because he yearns for a job in the construction trades.

Graduate Abundio Ayala was encouraged to apply for the program after enrolling his daughters in elementary school. Ayala had only lived in Selma for four months before enrolling.

Students were recognized for their accomplishments at a graduation ceremony where they heard from several speakers, including City of Selma Mayor Scott Robertson, Central Valley Regional Director Garth Fernandez, and Caltrans District 6 Director Diana Gomez.

“Our goal is to provide each of these students an opportunity to build a successful career in the construction industry and be a part of constructing the first fully electric high-speed rail in the nation. The Central Valley is already reaping the benefits of the high-speed rail project as we have created more than 14,000 good paying construction jobs since we broke ground. That number will continue to grow in the years to come.”

-Garth Fernandez, Central Valley Regional Director 

“It’s amazing to see how this program has evolved from the early days of the pandemic, to now introducing 15 cohorts to the construction trades,” added Gomez, who helped establish the program during her tenure with the Authority. “This program is a collaborative effort and I’m proud to see it continue to train individuals in construction that can lead to careers in transportation.”

Construction progresses every day on the California high-speed rail project. There are currently 171 miles under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield. Of the 93 structures needed, 50 are complete, and more than 30 construction sites are active between Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties.

The Authority has full environmental clearance on 463 miles of the high-speed rail program from the Bay Area to downtown Los Angeles.

The Central Valley Training Center is a project of the Authority in partnership with the Fresno, Madera, Kings, Tulare Building Trades Council, Fresno Economic Development Corporation, Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission and the city of Selma.

For the latest on high-speed rail construction, visit: www.buildhsr.com.

The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.app.box.com/s/vyvjv9hckwl1dk603ju15u07fdfir2q8

Files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.