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I never thought that I would find myself in let alone back in school and let alone
in a construction program. And I always loved architecture and designs, but I didn't want to
be an architect. I knew I still wanted to be an engineer. In my head construction was just you
build something out of nothing. And students can come into this program with very little or zero
knowledge. I work at a construction company and I'm a laborer for that company. A lot of
people from different levels of construction. Two years of industry experience, but then coming
into it and seeing and tying it all together. And I heard about project engineers and I heard about
field engineers and estimating engineers and that all has to do within the construction industry.
A very high demand profession that is also high paying. Somewhere around $100,000 a year. I find
myself being actively engaged and learning. I decided to take a leap of faith and here I am. A lot of our
students come into our courses because they have a passion for construction. They have a passion for
building. The project that we just did right now is on a real life affordable housing apartment
complex in Downtown LA, and we had to look into schedules and actual laws and ordinances that
are needed to keep the project up and running. You're going to have opportunities as students in
our Mt. SAC program to be able to tour our construction projects, where they can see and
interact with high level professional construction administration, construction management projects,
and be able to interact with those projects, walking around the job sites, learning directly
from onsite experience. I just see the project managers, you know they go out to look for jobs.
So, basically oversee a project from initiation to completion. So, they're the ones to ensure that
the project stays within budget, it stays on track to be completed within the time frame. To allocate
resources. Labor and management itself is a whole task. That's why they have construction management
firms. We want to achieve something higher. Yeah, I don't want to get my hands dirty for the rest of
my life. So, I actually already have a bachelor's degree in business marketing and I kind of
just found myself working at a desk job. My main goal is become a general contractor. And I found
myself being really interested in it. Like, hmm this is something I think I kind of want to
explore, but I don't really know how. To get the first level certificate, really it's only three
classes. Certificate level two is as simple as six courses, and then we also offer a full Associate's
degree. Eventually, I will get the Associate's with Construction Management and then maybe, possibly
even pursue a Bachelor's at either Cal Poly or Long Beach. And these are all CSU transferable courses.
Some students want to go directly out into the workforce. Why I'm here in Construction
Management is to increase salary and get better opportunities. All of our professionals within the
Construction Management program are all working professionals. And when I go offsite, I like to look
at construction sites. I'm like, 'oh like I know what... where, what project phase that is or what
project stage is their at. I'm the same way. I'll be driving down like the 55 and I'll see an
ongoing project and right away get excited, like "oh my God they got Tyvek!". The construction industry
right now is experiencing a decline in available professionals. A lot of the industry is all digital
and it's very technology based now. It's about the new technology that's coming out. For an industry
that really has a need for a younger generation right now. What we are geared to be able to provide
to the industry is new talent. And there's a lot of people on the way out of the industry.
And that's kind of where we come in. You know, they have that 'can't teach an old dog new tricks' type
of way and I think it's kind of hard to break that barrier and have them get into new practices. It is
required to have a level of expertise on software. And it's basically like plans, but on the computer.
Technological skills are a core element. So, our classes are designed around your life. We offer
classes in the evening, where you are going to be able to complete your degree in the quickest
possible manner. But not only am I walking away with the knowledge, but also a certification -
something that I can put on my resume and that actually has helped me get interviews. Certificates
are the lifeblood of this industry. Every single person on our construction project has some level
of certification. The crane that you see behind me, there are certified operators that are operating
this equipment. And you, as students, are going to be able to leave with professionally recognized
certificates that create opportunities for you to become employed in our industry. So this is a
great program. I recommend it for anybody who's looking to get into construction. Especially this
college offers a lot of programs. If you want to advance in the company ,I think you should check it
out. Number one thing is to ensure that we leave with something that we can use outside of the
classroom, and I feel like I am. This is the best turnaround I've had in my life in a very long time
and I think this gives me a lot of drive. I think I just found what I wanted to do,
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