Friday, April 5, 2024

WECA CEO Don Black Discusses Regional Workforce Development Needs and Construction Industry Challenges with San Diego Elected Officials and Staff; Gives Tours of Our San Diego Training Center
 

A dispatch from Dave Everett, WECA's new Southern California Government Relations Representative:

WECA’s staff works hard to protect the rights of merit shop business owners and their employees throughout the West. Part of that work is showing our elected officials and their staff members first-hand the great work WECA is doing in workforce development at our San Diego Training Center.

To that end, WECA CEO Don Black was recently in San Diego and had a chance to sit down with some of our local elected officials here in San Diego County and discuss the workforce development needs of the region as well as some of the challenges facing the construction industry in California.

After a breakfast event with San Diego Supervisor candidate and former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, WECA's CEO met with with California State Assembly candidate and former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio and staff from Assemblymember Chris Ward's office and gave them a brief tour of our WECA facilities in San Diego. It was a good opportunity to highlight the many ways WECA’s apprentices learn in the classroom and to see the hands-on, competency-based labs they undertake. The day concluded with an opportunity to talk with State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, State Senator Catherine Blakespear and Vista Mayor John Franklin as they celebrated the AGC National Convention hosted here in San Diego and Thomas L Brown becoming AGC of America Board President in 2024.

WECA members embrace the idea that political action is not simply prudent, but essential to preserving and enhancing their ability to pursue business opportunities in the public and private marketplace.







Above, WECA CEO Don Black gave California State Assembly candidate and former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio a tour of WECA's San Diego electrical apprenticeship and training center and discussed WECA's workforce development efforts

Below, Don and Jeff Van de Moere, WECA's Membership Manager for California and Utah, met with Assemblymember Chris Ward's staff at our San Diego facility and highlighted for them the many ways our electrical and low voltage apprentices and students learn in our classroom and labs.