BSP Helps Thousands of California's Most Vulnerable Frontline Workers
In the face of rising social inequality, stagnating wages, a declining middle class, and now a global pandemic, many workers in America are finding it difficult to get ahead. Building Skills Partnership serves thousands of workers from low-wage industries in Los Angeles, Mountain View, Oakland, Orange County, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Jose, providing opportunities to fully address the unique barrier immigrant workers and their families face in realizing the benefits of social, civic, and economic integration.
For thousands of frontline workers [janitors] in low-wage industries across the state, the pandemic has exacerbated challenges for an already vulnerable workforce. Mostly immigrants, with limited English-proficiency, lack of access to formal education, and low pay—janitors often face multiple challenges such as, financial insecurity and limited opportunities for career mobility. Since janitors do most of their work after hours or when spaces are not in use, they often go unseen, and the cleaning profession compounds that systemic invisibility.
“BSP's innovative workforce development programs address the needs from workers, industry and labor for skill training. Since the pandemic, BSP has worked closely with employers, building owners, and SEIU-USWW to develop an infectious disease certification program to train numerous workers. We need these types of programs that bring together labor-management partners to protect workers, the public and create opportunities for workers,” said Luis Sandoval, Executive Director of Building Skills Partnership.
BSP offers programs at leading worksites across California including Google, Cisco, Microsoft and Adobe in Silicon Valley and Century Plaza. Some Southern California partners include Sony Studios, Dreamworks, Nestle, Kilroy Realty and Irvine Company in Los Angeles and Orange County. Because it has unique access and proven capacity to reach immigrant workers, various Foundations, adult schools, community colleges and other non-profits, many of these entities are eager to partner with BSP.
The organization’s programs are designed to develop high-road industry-driven partnerships that provide equity, sustainability, and job quality through skills strategies designed to support economically and resilient communities. BSP programs include infectious disease certification, environmentally sustainable cleaning program, financial capabilities courses, English as a second language (ESL), digital literacy, citizenship & civic engagement, health and wellness, and parenting engagement programming.
To bring industry employers, workers, and partners together, BSP develops curriculum and trains thousands of workers statewide, which also enabled the organization to quickly address the workers’ needs in 2020 during COVID-19, and now the Delta variant.
Through a sector approach, BSP brings together stakeholders connected to the property service industry to address the skills shortages while developing a pipeline of skilled workers to meet future demands. By partnering with employers and labor, BSP is able to improve worker training, career pathways, industry growth, and facilitate the advancement of workers at all skill levels.
BSP’s high-road programs are part of the California Workforce Development Board’s High Road Training Partnership, which is funded through California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health, and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.
