FONTANA, CA – Nine Citrus High School students are on their way to mastering a trade, equipped with a core certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).

Citrus High, one of Fontana Unified’s continuation schools, offers the certification as part of its Building and Construction Trades career tech pathway, which launched in 2017. Students complete hands-on construction projects, employing safety strategies, using hand and power tools and applying mathematics and measurement skills, all of which help them emulate careers in construction trades.

“We are proud to offer a pathway that addresses a need in the community and prepares students to graduate as employable professionals,” Citrus High School Principal Mike Bunten said. “Congratulations to the students who have worked hard to earn their certifications and to those who will earn them later this year.”

The pathway, which can be completed in one to two years, contains two parts – one unit of core curriculum from NCCER and one unit of instruction in industrial maintenance electrical and instrumentation (IM E&I).

Students also have the opportunity to earn 10-hour safety certification from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and gain experience on the school’s forklift and backhoe simulators.

Citrus High aims to ensure students have received all the necessary safety training and are gaining foundational skills. Receiving these certifications in high school can give students a head start in pursuing a career in construction and building trades.

The pathway is supported by career technical education instructors with years of experience in construction, as well as partnerships with the California Homebuilders Association, Ontario Carpenters Union and InTech Center in Fontana.

PHOTOS

FUSD_CONSTRUCTION1: Citrus High School students test their skills on the forklift simulator as part of the school’s Building and Construction Trades career tech pathway.

FUSD_CONSTRUCTION2: Citrus High School’s Building and Construction Trades pathway students gain hands-on experience in the school’s workshop.