Building & Construction Trades
Students engage in an instructional program that integrates academic and technical preparation and focuses on career awareness, career exploration, and skill preparation in the Building and Construction Trades industry. The sector encompasses four career pathways: Cabinetry, Millwork, and Woodworking; Engineering and Heavy Construction; Mechanical Systems Installation and Repair; and Residential and Commercial Construction.
These pathways emphasize processes, systems, and the way in which structures are built. The knowledge and skills are acquired in a sequential, standards-based pathway program that integrates hands-on, project-based, and work-based instruction. Standards included in the Building and Construction Trades sector are designed to prepare students for technical training, postsecondary education, and entry to a career.
Building & Construction Trades
Pathway Courses at RUSD
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION PATHWAY
The Residential and Commercial Construction pathway provides learning opportunities for students interested in preparing for careers in construction and building design, performance, and sustain-ability. The standards focus on the manner in which residential and commercial structures are designed and built. The pathway includes instruction in the way in which these structures are built (Class B California License).
• Construction Technology I
An instructional course that deals with the tasks performed in the residential and commercial construction trades. This course also serves as a perquisite for enrollment in advanced vocational and technical education courses. It comprises the study of safety, career opportunities, tools and machines, planning and design, economics, citizenship, management, applicable mathematics, blueprint reading, component nomenclature, trade vocabulary, residential and commercial construction standards, construction manufacturing standards, and specialized skills. Competencies related to each standard in the construction cluster are taught.
This course meets the University of California/California State University “g” (College Preparatory Elective) entrance requirements.
• Construction Technology II
Prerequisite: Construction Technology I or Instructor Approval
This instructional program provides students with the competencies and information needed in residential and commercial construction. It comprises the study of fasteners and hardware, finishes and coatings, materials, installation techniques, laminating and bending methods, new and emerging technologies, mapping and surveying, levels and transits, foundations and floors, walls and partitions, roof systems, electrical wiring, interior and exterior finishes, floor coverings, metal construction, heating and cooling, plumbing, concrete and brick masonry, insulation, glazing, maintenance, and landscaping. Also included is the study of hoisting cranes, earth-moving equipment, ditching and trenching equipment, pump and compressor operation, plaster and trim operations, and the related mathematics, vocabulary, physical science, and management skills.
This course meets the University of California/California State University “g” (College Preparatory Elective) entrance requirements.
• Technology - Special Projects
Prerequisite: Instructor Approval
Articulation with Mt. SAC (Courses ARCH 147)
Special Projects is a capstone course designed to give students the opportunity to apply their technical skills and ability to work successfully in the workforce, to demonstrate learning and thinking skills, and to develop individual resourcefulness. The student will have an opportunity to work independently on specific projects under the guidance of a teacher for one of the following industry sectors in the Technology career pathway: Engineering and Architecture, Construction Technology, Auto Technician.
• Senior Seminar - Technology
Prerequisite: Completion of the Residential & Commercial Construction Career Pathway core courses culminating in a “B” average and completion of Pathway area of concentration courses culminating in a yearly “B” average in each class.
Senior Seminar is a one-year course offered to senior students who are completing the Career Certification Program in the Residential & Commercial Construction Career Pathway. This course includes a 36-hour internship, which provides students with a supervised practical workplace experience. Students complete an extensive research project, which is presented both orally and in writing. Students also develop a portfolio, which will help them organize and present a collection of their work for the purpose of assessment as well as for presentation to prospective employers. They also enhance their employment skills by participating in an interview with a panel of judges. Upon successful completion of this course, students will receive a certificate of completion.
This course meets the University of California/California State University “g” (College Preparatory Elective) entrance requirements.
For more career information, visit the
California Career Zone Website
Building and Construction Trades Industry Sector
 Career Technical Service Organization for Building & Construction Trades |