(lively percussive music) (gentle upbeat music) - [Narrator] At Nathaniel S. Colley High School in Sacramento, these students are constructing the foundation of this sandbox and building their futures.

- Most of my students don't have any construction experience at all.

It is one of the questions I ask right off the bat just to get a feel and also reassure them that if they don't have the construction experience, we're gonna teach 'em everything they need to know.

- [Narrator] Mike Anckner is an instructor with Northern California Construction Training or NCCT, which offers construction free apprenticeships at Sacramento County community schools.

He's been teaching with them for over a decade.

His father-in-law started the program in the 1990s to give people the opportunity to explore construction careers.

Colley High is a community school run by the Sacramento County Office of Education, and is all about opportunity.

Students here receive extra academic support and can obtain credits towards graduation they might not have received at a traditional high school.

They also have the chance to take career technical education courses like construction training.

- They're excited to come to school.

They sometimes, you know, construction, this is the one thing that gets them to school.

- It's just an open space.

The teacher just, you know, just told, it's like, if you wanna be in a construction program, you can be in one too, and then I just choose to be in it 'cause I know I could gain a lot of experience.

- When I first came, I didn't know how to do many, like a lot of things, I didn't know how to talk to people.

Like, I didn't know how to do any measuring things.

But now I do.

- The pre-apprenticeship is really just trying to teach them some of the basic foundational skills like tape measure, like the ability to use a speed square.

It just prepares them so that if they do get into an apprenticeship, which usually lasts four to five years long depending on the trade, it basically prepares them and gives, especially my students because of their age, the confidence they need.

We start out with some smaller projects.

We might build just a basic box.

I always tell the kids, you know, "If we can build a box 12 inches by 12 inches, then why can't we build one 12-foot by 12-foot?"

Or you know, just expand your mind a little bit, right?

- [Narrator] Students of all experience levels are working as a team on this sandbox.

It folds out to reveal two benches.

Dwight has been in the program for two years and is in charge of building the structure for this project, also known as framing.

As he drills screws, Eric is helping put all the pieces together.

- I like framing because it's not hard and it's not easy.

But you just, like, once you putting something together, you be like, oh, you doing a good job and it motivates you to keep on going.

- [Narrator] Outside, Kevin cuts wood boards with a circular saw.

And Kelayhia, a newer construction student uses an orbital sander on each piece.

Mike works closely with the students, offering guidance throughout the process.

- Get it in your groove first.

There you go.

Okay, and then come up and do it.

- The thing I like the most is teamwork where you get to work with your friends and just talk and then just help each other out, see what they need to be helped on, and just give us a lot of experience and stuff.

- It's fun being able to just build whatever I want, whatever I could think of.

It's just, I don't know, I just enjoy it.

I just like working with my hands and doing hands-on projects.

- [Narrator] Along with their hands, construction requires brain power too.

- Math is one of the more challenging parts, so that's something we do in this classroom is we spend a good portion talking about fractions and tape measure and really trying to hone those skills, so that when they go out there, they're confident in what they're doing.

- I think really a lot of them, it's the first time where academics make sense to them because they're able to take math whether it's using the ruler or if Mike's working with them with fractions and how that relates into how they're cutting pieces of wood and reading a blueprint diagram.

There's a lot of ways in which construction supports the academics and helps to strengthen that.

- The most important thing is, like, not to give up or, and just keep on trying.

Like I could just, I could redo it.

Like the mistakes, I could just, like, if I make a mistake, I could just refill it and re, like, continue going on.

- [Narrator] This pre-apprenticeship prepares students to apply for construction apprenticeships after graduating.

Others say the class gives them life skills to help build almost anything they want.

- I wanna do like carpenter, like, carpentry.

I wanna learn how to do that.

So, I'm just trying to do this, so I can do that.

- I wanna build my cousin a swing set here so I could put it together at the house for him, so he could have something to play on.

And then, like, what else?

Whatever else we could build.

I'm interested in building anything.

- I got other dreams that I wanna pursue too, but construction is gonna be a part of my life that, you know, if somebody need help in building stuff, you know, I can help out a little bit.

- [Narrator] Mike and the students say construction training builds important habits and lasting connections.

- We focus a lot on the life skills.

Showing up on time is one of 'em, right?

Just showing up and always having something to do.

Always being safe, right?

That's our number one priority.

- Don't put your fingers by the saw.

That's really important.

And always wear safety glasses and hard hat.

- When I hear one student tell another that, you know, "I'm not a big fan of school necessarily, but it's one of the only reasons I come to school is so that I can be a part of this program or be in Mr.

Mike's class," that's one of the most rewarding things I can possibly hear.