Western Territory General Vice President Gary Allen was recently on hand for an announcement regarding the new apprenticeship program of the City and County of San Francisco (City) in partnership with IAM Local 1414, the Advanced Manufacturing & Transportations Apprenticeship of California, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

The agreement was signed by Micki Callahan representing the City of San Francisco, Ed Reiskin representing SFMTA, Katie Hobin Porter representing CAT, and Art Gonzalez representing IAM Local 1414.

“This partnership has been a long time coming and I look forward to giving the opportunity to people, especially young people, in the San Francisco bay area,” said District 190 Business Representative Art Gonzalez. “We are also close to having a pre-apprenticeship program for women and foster children and having an outreach to young people that might not know to choose an automotive or machinist trade for a career.”

“I commend the leadership of Local Lodge 1414 and the city of San Francisco for having the vision to plan for tomorrow,” said Western Territory General Vice President Gary Allen. “I’m very proud of Brother Art Gonzalez and his dedication to winning an apprenticeship program for his membership so the precious skills that keep the city running are preserved.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeships have dramatically impacted the lives, careers and opportunities for millions of workers, and more than 150,000 businesses over the last 80 years, from careers in healthcare, energy and IT, to manufacturing, transportation and more.

The benefits are substantial – companies that offer apprenticeship programs can diversify their workforce, improve productivity and profitability, standardize training, and reduce turnover.

“I commend all the parties for coming together and making this partnership a reality,” said District 190 President and Directing Business Representative James Beno. “Great things happen when we act on our common goals of a thriving community and a vibrant working class.”

The average journey-level starting wage for apprentices is more than $60,000, and workers will earn an average of $300,000 more over their lifetime than their non-apprentice peers.