PORT OF LOS ANGELES PARTNERS WITH TRADE COUNCILS AND CRAFT UNIONS TO CREATE FIRST-EVER APPRENTICE PROGRAM
Program Will Train Craftspersons in a Variety of Trades for Permanent Jobs at the Nation’s Leading Container Port
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — July 7, 2008 — The Port of Los Angeles is embarking on a unique and first-of-its-kind collaboration with the Los Angeles and Orange County Building Trade Councils to create a Craft Apprentice Program which will result in the placement of craftspersons in permanent jobs at the Port. The City’s Personnel Department, as well as the individual craft unions, are also involved in the Apprentice Program and will be integral to its success. The Port expects to hire 10 electrical craftspersons through this Apprentice Program in the first year and more apprentices in different fields as the program develops.
“Over the years, the Port has had a challenge training and retaining a qualified trade-oriented workforce to keep up with our demands,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. “Our old ways of recruiting and hiring were not working, so we needed to break the mold and come up with a better solution. With our focus on plugging ships into electrical power and electrifying other Port operations, more electricians are a necessity.”
The Port, a department of the City of Los Angeles, has traditionally filled trade vacancies through the civil service process. The new Apprentice Program was created to augment that system to target and train the types of craftspersons specifically needed by the Port. These include electricians, plumbers, painters and carpenters. The five-year Apprentice Program will consist of nighttime classroom-related study plus a minimum of 8,000 hours of job training. All apprentices will meet the City’s civil service rules as well as the individual craft union minimum requirements.
The Port of Los Angeles, also known as “America’s Port,” has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy and the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. A recipient of numerous environmental awards, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 Clean Air Excellence Award, the Port of Los Angeles is committed to innovating cleaner, greener ways of doing business. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars. The Port of Los Angeles - A cleaner port. A brighter future.