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CTE Engineering Technology Trade MC3 Program

Aragon High School Launches First-Ever CTE Engineering Technology Trade MC3 Program

Group photo of various Trade MC3 Organization reps at Aragon staff
On October 10, 2024,  guest speakers from the County of San Mateo Department of Public Works and the Building and Construction Trades Council of San Mateo County came to Aragon to speak with students in Aaron Apperson’s CTE Engineering Technology Trade MC3 Program.  The speakers spoke with students and shared valuable insights about their career paths, industry experiences, and various career options after high school. They also discussed entry points into the trade industry, the benefits of trade work, retirement plans, and paid tuition programs. 
 
From left, Bart Pantoja (Business Manager/Financial-Secretary Treasurer of Building and Construction Trade Council of San Mateo County); Arron Apperson (Engineering Tech teacher at AHS); Queenie Hua (Career & CTE Coordinator at AHS); Elizabeth Angelini (Safety/Risk Manager); Ryan Rasmussen (Road Maintenance Manager); Kim Velarde (WOC Associate Management Analysis); Isaac Molina (WOC Associate Management Analysis) and Joshua Rawley (Civil Engineer and Aragon High School Alumni)

The San Mateo Union High School District is excited to announce that Aragon High School (San Mateo, CA) has launched a new program in the 2024-2025 school year - CTE Engineering Technology Trade MC3 Program - the only program of its kind in a San Mateo County High School!

The Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) is a comprehensive pre-apprenticeship training curriculum developed and approved by the Building Trades National Apprenticeship and Training Committee in 2008. The MC3 was created to provide high quality, apprentice-level content to young people interested in construction, to prepare them for careers in the industry. The goal is to prepare students to join the Building Trades and work among the safest working, most highly-skilled construction workers in the world. The MC3 has been certified by state education departments in a number of states across the country. 

The MC3 connects two high-quality education systems: America’s secondary schools and the Building Trades registered apprenticeship programs. If a student completes the MC3 and joins a registered apprenticeship program (for example, San Mateo County Electricians Local 617, Sheet Metal Workers Local 104 , Painter and Drywall Finishers Local 913, etc.), they will join one of the largest privately-funded workforce development systems in the nation.  Learn more about MC3.

The program provides students with hands-on instruction in tools, construction math, financial literacy, history of the labor movement, benefits and protections for trades people, and safe work practices. Students will earn an OSHA-10 card and First Aid/CPR certification in the class as well. 

Upon completion of the course, students will also receive a certificate of completion of the MC3 class from Trades Futures, a national organization working to prepare students for a successful career in the trades. 

SMUHSD is covered by a project stabilization agreement - this partnership with local trade unions and industry partners has been key to the authorization of this program. 

The program at Aragon took over a year of collaborative contributions by Aragon Engineering Technology teacher Arron Apperson, the Aragon High School administration team, SMUHSD Director of Curriculum and Assessment Brian Simmons, District College and Career Readiness Coordinator Lisa Laux and AHS Career Coordinator Queenie Hua. This course is currently being offered onsite during 3rd period class at Aragon.

According to Bart Pantoja, Business Manager of the San Mateo County Business and Construction Trade Council, this is the first MC3 class authorized in a San Mateo County high school. Pantoja adds, “We hope this pilot program will pave the way for similar initiatives in other local schools, educating students on labor history and raising awareness of the many trades represented by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU).”