Fidel Cortés and Francisco García, students of the Port of Los Angeles High School They found out this summer that when they grow up, they want to work in construction.
Both participate in Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, a summer program that teaches skilled trades such as welding, plumbing, carpentry, construction, and solar installation to middle and high school students, while giving them pay and educational credits while they train.
“I’m learning a lot. I already took a year of construction before, but this program is more advanced; and it has helped me discover that I want a future in construction: I want to be a general contractor,” says Fidel.
He says he feels comfortable and ready to find a construction job through the union when he turns 18 and graduates from high school.
“I also want to go to trade school to learn more about construction.”
And he comments that since he was a child, academics have not been as interesting to him as doing things with his hands. “Construction seems like a very fun job to me,” says 16-year-old Fidel.
Francisco García, 17, says many students should take advantage of the summer program to learn a trade.
“This is the second one I take; And what I like the most is that we can work with other colleagues to learn together”.
He talks about how this program helped him decide that construction is the activity he wants to do as a means of earning a living. “I want to be a builder.”
This summer they participate in the summer program Harbor Freight Tools for Schools is delivered at six sites in Artesia, Canoga Park, El Segundo/Hawthorne, Glendale, La Mirada, and San Pedro/Wilmington.
“The program Harbor Freight Tools for Schools is powered by the Smith Foundation started by Eric Smith, the owner of Harbor Freight Toolswho has a lot of respect for the people who work with their hands and tools, and knows the intelligence and creativity that is needed”, says Belen Vargas, senior director for the programs of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools in Los Angeles County.
He explains that Smith decided to start this program so that young people have the opportunity to learn the skills needed for technical careers that pay well and are in high demand.
“Many of these careers start out paying between $50,000 and $60,000; and in a few years, they earn over $100,000 per year”.
The demand in Los Angeles – he says – is very high for qualified workers to design and build public works, housing, stadiums and other projects within the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
A 2023 study found that the construction industry needs more than 500,000 additional workers to keep up with demand this year alone.
Vargas explains that the students who participate in the program range from 10 and 11 years old to 17 and 18 years old.
“I am very excited to see how the same high school students teach the younger ones showing leadership and the ability to be teachers, and it is incredible to hear them talk about the passion with which they are using their hands to make boxes of tools, tables and other things.”
He points out that through this program, students are paid the minimum hourly wage of $15.50 while the boys learn about other great career options that the community needs in Los Angeles.
“We’re introducing this program before they graduate from high school so they can see if it’s something that interests them.”
And remember that they started three years ago with this program.
“Last year we had 200 students; and this summer we hope to exceed 500, between 20 and 40% are women. This shows the interest of parents and students in learning these trades and careers.”
This year the program began on June 6 and will end in four weeks.
“Each course lasts from one to two weeks, and is between 6 and 7 hours per day.”
Vargas says the goal is for these courses to exist in more schools, not just in the summer but during the school year so that when students graduate from high school, they know all the professions that exist.
Unfortunately, he says there is a lack of programs to prepare students who have the interest and talent for these technical careers.
But it is also estimated that there are just under 100 trade teachers in the 80 Los Angeles school districts that together serve 1.5 million students, with a significant number of Latinos.
The schools that participate in the program serve mostly Latino students:
DaVinci (El Segundo/Hawthorne): 97% Latino
POLAH (Port of Los Angeles High School): 81% Latino
Artesia: 75.8% Latino
La Mirada: 68% Latino
For your summer program, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools uses traditional workshop classrooms and mobile training to bring materials and experiences to campus and into technological virtual reality.
Plus Vargas says it’s amazing to see what the minors can achieve after just a few weeks of training.
“Imagine 13-year-olds having a barbecue with sparks flying and high school students building a small house on the sidewalk of their school!”
Vargas ends by saying that there are very few schools with specialized trade classes in Los Angeles and they need to expand.
“For example, the welding program of La Mirada High School it is one of the few offered throughout the county.”