“During the past five years, San Diego Job Corps’ work at our Federal Fire Training Facility on North Island has saved the Department of Navy over $200,000,” advised Dave Salerno, Fire Inspector and Fire Training Center Manager at the base.  “We anticipate an additional $200,000 in labor costs will be saved in the future by their continuing work with us.”

During Mr. Salerno’s first visit to the San Diego Center in 2006, he met with Carpentry instructor Wally Husted and other Job Corps staff members.  “Together we identified an opportunity to get construction accomplished at North Island that was otherwise not possible,” he stated.  “We were able to identify projects that had training value to their students while developing a Training Center for the Navy Southwest Region Fire & Emergency Services.  Job Corps’ work has made us more capable of protecting those we serve.  It’s been a pleasure working with their students and staff and we certainly appreciate all they have accomplished.”

“This has been a great, on-going project for our students,” stated Mr. Husted.  “It’s an opportunity for them to apply the OSHA 10 training they’ve received on center, and hone the skills they are learning in our program.  Working with other trades they learn time management, how to complete a project and enable the next trade to begin their work.”

Job Corps’ Flooring, Bricklaying, Plumbing, Electrical, Cement, Painting, and Plastering trades, have worked along-side the Carpentry trade at the training facility.  They’ve built and remodeled a number a number of rooms and buildings, which included building foundations, painting, plastering, re-applying stucco, and extensive plumbing, electrical, and brickwork.

“These projects are a win-win for both training centers,” stated Pete Camarda, Job Corps’ Bricklaying instructor.  “It gives us the opportunity to provide real world training projects to help our students prepare for the workforce.”