February 1, 2013
Contact: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR
(619) 997-2495 or Email Gayle
ABC San Diego Scholarship Program Helps Students Secure Career Education
San Diego County students enrolled in construction programs eligible for awards
(San Diego) – A vocational education scholarship program established by the Associated Builders and Contractors San Diego Apprenticeship Training Trust can help San Diego County high school students achieve their career goals in the construction industry.
Applications are currently open for the ABC Apprenticeship Scholarship Program. Any high school senior currently enrolled in a construction class or training program in San Diego County is eligible to apply.
Scholarship recipients become apprentices, which means the student is a full-time employee with benefits. Apprentices combine on-the-job training working under the supervision of a skilled craftsperson with formal education through ABC’s Apprenticeship Training Trust program, where students learn the technical side and the theory of their craft. All tuition costs are covered.
As part of the scholarship, students who are selected receive a basic set of tools for their trade, and all technical manuals, codebooks and classroom textbooks throughout the apprenticeship at no cost, a value of several thousand dollars.
Apprenticeship training programs provide many advantages, including paid on-the-job training; certification of professional skills at the state and federal level; college credits from the San Diego Community College District; family medical and dental benefits; training in the latest technology and building codes; and best of all, an excellent career as a skilled construction professional with numerous opportunities to advance into supervisory roles, or even company ownership.
“Several of our 2012 recipients are the first person in their families to pursue education beyond high school, and it wouldn’t have been possible for them without scholarship help like our scholarship program,” said ABC Apprenticeship Training Trust Executive Director Sherry Yarbrough. “They will have to put in a lot of hard work, but they now have the opportunity to build a career that can last them a lifetime.”
To apply, students must have a minimum 2.0 grade point average and must be on track to graduate in Spring 2013. Students must submit the following to ABC San Diego:
• A completed application form.
• A one-page essay describing why he/she wants to be a skilled craftsperson. It must be trade specific.
• Examples of community service.
• Letters of recommendation, for example from teachers, scout leaders, work supervisors, coaches.
• Any previous construction experience through work, school projects or internships.
These items and a current high school transcript must be submitted to ABC San Diego no later than Monday, April 1, 2013.
For more information about the ABC San Diego Apprenticeship Training Trust Scholarship Program, visit the ABC San Diego website and click on the Apprenticeship tab.
About ABC San Diego
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national trade association representing 22,000 members from more than 19,000 construction and industry-related firms. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 70 chapters help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which they work. The San Diego Chapter of ABC represents construction and construction-related firms throughout San Diego County. To find out more about ABCSD, visit www.abcsd.org.
