Signed first citywide Joint Apprenticeship Committee agreement

On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, the City and County of San Francisco’s Mayor London Breed, Northern California District Council of Laborers, LiUNA!, Local 261, San Francisco City Attorney's Office and the California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Apprenticeship Standards, signed the first citywide Joint Apprenticeship Committee agreement! This partnership will open up many apprenticeship opportunities for community members to quality city jobs connected to permanent journey level careers in city departments such as San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and SF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS and many others to come and with support from CITYBULD® OEWD and City College of San Francisco!

City Apprenticeship Initiative & Policy

It is important that all of the City’s Apprenticeship Programs have the same standards that apply to all labor organizations and departments. The following is a list of requirements necessary for all ApprenticeshipSF Programs:

  • Wage Rates and Payments to Union Training Funds: Wage rates and payments to union training funds are negotiated by the Department of Human Resources via meet and confer obligations and will be included in the appropriate memorandum of understanding.
  • Appointing Officer Authority: Appointing Officers have the ultimate authority to hire and release apprentices from City employment.
  • Non-Discriminatory Selection Process: Selection of apprentices must be fair, open and competitive as reflected in the Charter, State and Federal Laws and Civil Service Rules.
  • Citywide Apprenticeship Agreements: Apprenticeship agreements must comply with the Charter and may only be executed by the Department of Human Resources with approval from the City Attorney’s Office.
  • California Department of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS): In order to ensure that graduate apprentices receive credit for attaining journey-level proficiencies, apprenticeship programs should meet DAS standards, and DHR will seek approval by DAS.
  • Program Structure: Apprentices will be hired as PEX 18 employees. The two options for Apprentice job classifications are: (1) one apprenticeship job classification for apprenticeships which last a period of up to three years; OR (2) two successive apprenticeship job classifications for apprenticeships which last more than three years. There will not be any Permanent Civil Service or Provisional appointments into apprenticeship job classifications.
  • Standard Apprenticeship Programs: All existing apprenticeship programs will reviewed according to the same standards identified above. Current programs that do not meet the standards may be amended.