Free Job Training

Students receive valuable job skills in the Labor Council's free training program.

Programs for Job Training

The Labor Council believes that unions protect the working man and enhance the standard of living for all workers and their families. However, finding skilled and qualified workers to fill high demand union positions is a challenge with rapid technological advances and a fiercely competitive global economy.

For more than 10 years the Labor Council has exerted regional leadership by providing a highly effective range of job training programs to fill the need for well trained workers who will be the union members of tomorrow.

So effective is the job training program that the Labor Council was recently awarded a $1 million grant from the Department of Labor to expand its program to provide Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) training to incumbent workers at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding.

Funded by the State California and supplemented by a wide range of local grants, our job training programs are free to any job seeker. Services include collaboration with a number of leading employers as well as working with local colleges and community based organizations. Job seekers are assessed and their aptitudes and abilities identified. Clients decide upon their career goals and case managers help create a program to achieve those goals. Our job developers assist each client in a job search that targets jobs that match their goals.

The Labor Council’s job training programs include pre-employment training in various topics including employer and workplace expectations, work ethics, resume preparation and job interviewing skills. Our state-of-the-art computer technology center is open to all our clients to help them increase their English, math, and general computer skills, increasing their chances for better jobs. Technical skills are also taught in several trades so clients can be placed with some of San Diego’s largest union employers.

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about our progressive job training programs, please call (619) 283-5411 to attend a weekly orientation.

Free Job Training for Job Seekers

Four-week Career and Apprenticeship Preparation Training course including job skills, resumes, math, language arts, mechanical education, and "hands on" field training in our state-of-the-art computer technology lab and on-site with our employer partners.

Orientations are held the second and fourth Thursday of every month at 9 a.m.

San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, 4305 University Avenue, Suite 340 San Diego, CA 92105

Call (619) 283-5411 for more information.

Who Qualifies

Requirements for job seekers include:  

• A valid driver's license and/or CA ID
• Private Transportation (preferred, not required)
• You must be a legal resident
• You must be at least 18 years old
• If you are a male born after 1959, you must be registered with Selective Services

Job Placement

The Labor Council is fortunate to have established relationships with many employers who welcome the opportunity to hire students upon graduation. Since many of these are union jobs, they offer the participant a career with room for advancement, excellent wages, and outstanding benefits. The process of collective bargaining establishes a unique relationship between the Labor Council affiliates and employers, making job development opportunities numerous.

All who are interested should come to an orientation, held the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. at the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, 4305 University Ave., Ste. #340, San Diego, CA 92105, or call (619) 283-5411 for more information.

Employer Partnerships

We offer employer training partnerships with actively recruiting companies such as NASSCO, Metropolitan Transit System, San Diego Trolley, Pasha, Hilton and others. Our individualized programs are structured for successful employment with these partners.

Computer Technology Center

Our 24 station, state-of-the-art PC technology center allows students to access the internet at top speeds, job search and apply for positions over the web, learn keyboarding and Microsoft office skills and develop professional resumes with the help of our trained staff. In addition our lab offers the education program, AZTEC, which provides Adult Basic Education lessons, including Math and Language Arts to customized individual needs.