Entry Level Construction and Energy Management Skills

The Entry Level Construction and Energy Management Skills Certificate of Achievement is for students who want to secure entry-level jobs in the construction industry and/or an apprenticeship. This certificate focuses on safety, tool operation, measurement, layout, electrical, plumbing, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). Students will learn the fundamentals of construction so they have a solid foundation to continue in the construction and energy management programs and/or qualify for an apprenticeship. A student will be prepared for an entry-level position in residential construction such as framer, form worker, roofer, solar installer, insulation technician, and window/door installer.

The Entry Level Construction and Energy Management Skills Certificate of Achievement is projected to have an increased enrollment of 10-15 students/year with 8-12 completing the certificate annually with future exponential growth.

Cabrillo College is seeking approval from the Chancellor’s Office for the Entry Level Construction and Energy Management Skills Certificate of Achievement in Career Technical Education.  The Construction and Energy Management Fundamentals Certificate provides the fundamental knowledge to address the business aspects of construction management. The need for this certificate has been advocated for by local general contractors, business owners, speciality trade leaders, union members, non-profit organizations, and community members and supported by current, regional labor market index data (TOP Code 0957.00; CIP Code 52.2001). 

The Construction and Energy Management (CEM) program is aligned with Cabrillo’s mission, master plan, and statewide community college work in Guided Pathways.  Approval of this certificate will benefit local and regional employers, fulfill workforce needs of the local community, augment college enrollment, and support non-traditional and underserved minority students in a viable career and academic path. 
The program objective is to provide students with hands-on learning in construction, energy management, and building inspection. The program gives our students the knowledge and skills they need to qualify for entry-level positions or have a foundation to pursue higher education. This certificate of achievement is designed to be part of a package of stackable certificates for career preparation and provides an opportunity to obtain additional certificates and/or an associate in science degree. 

The potential for a starting salary for Construction Management is $22.38/hour in the Santa Cruz subregion and $30.49/hour in the Bay Area subregion. This is a baseline starting salary and is variable depending on previous skills and experience in addition to ongoing advancement in employment and education. 
Experiential learning is the cornerstone of our program. It is critical to student learning and in addition to technical and business skills, also provides them industry insight and career exploration prior to landing employment opportunities. 

Based on all available Labor Market Index (LMI) data, there appears to be an undersupply of Construction and Energy Management TOP Code 9570.00 compared to the demand for this occupation in the Bay region and in the Santa Cruz-Monterey sub-region (Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties). The annual gap between demand and supply is about 3,101 students in the Bay region and 152 students in the Santa Cruz-Monterey sub-region.  The purpose of our program is to train and certify students to meet the high labor market demand needs in our local and regional areas.

A total of 12.00 foundational construction and energy management courses are required in addition to CG51 and a computer proficiency course, CABT101.

Semester 1 (Total 7)

Required CEM177 - Fundamentals of Residential Framing   3 units

Required CEM155 - Blueprint Reading   3 units

Required CG51 - Planning for Success    1 3 unites

Semester 2 (Total 9)

Required CEM151EL - Electrical Basics for Construction Technology   1 unit

Required CEM151FC - Basic Finish Carpentry   1 unit

Required CEM151PL - Plumbing Basics for Construction Technology   1unit

Required CEM154 - Construction Estimating   3 units

Required CABT101 - Computer Proficiency   3 units

The Entry Level Construction and Energy Management Skills Certificate of Achievement is part of an interdisciplinary program in the Construction and Energy Management department at Cabrillo College. The majority of core courses are in CEM that share synergy with engineering, e-tech, and welding. The CEM department also collaborates with Computer Applications and Business Technology (CABT) and Counseling/Guidance and features their courses packaged in certificate offerings This certificate can be a stepping stone for students to pursue other certificates and degrees at community college. Cabrillo College has collaborated with and received mentoring from successful programs. We hope to promote construction and energy management to our students and continue to develop strong workforce professionals in this area. The sequencing of courses is designed to prepare students to be successful when they continue their education or join the workforce at entry level positions. Furthermore, program content and program mapping have been chosen based on student needs.

Hartnell College has an Associate in Science degree and one Certificate of Achievement requiring 16 to less than 30 semester units under Top Code 0957.00* Civil and Construction Management Technology. There are no objections from Hartnell College for Cabrillo to offer the Entry Level Construction and Energy Management Skills Certificate of Achievement. Clint Cowden, Dean Academic Affairs, Hartnell College was contacted on 3/26/2022 via email and responded on 3/27/2022hat Hartnell College has no objections to Cabrillo submitting the Construction and Energy Management Fundamentals Certificate of Achievement.