Our mission
Building the next generation of Bay Area builders.
Built for the Bay is the public launch of a long-term initiative to elevate the skilled trades, build visible career pathways for young people, and confront a workforce shortage that’s already constraining Bay Area employers.
Inspire
Show high school students and their families that trades careers are respected, essential, and full of opportunity — not a fallback.
Connect
Link inspiration to concrete next steps: apprenticeships, training programs, and real employer relationships.
Commit
Back it with action — a live scholarship and a multi-year commitment to Bay Area trades workforce development.
Why the trades, why now
By 2030, an estimated 2.1 million U.S. skilled-trades jobs could go unfilled. The construction sector alone is short hundreds of thousands of workers, and the AI and clean-energy buildout is pulling skilled labor toward the highest-paying projects — deepening shortages everywhere else.
At the same time, Bay Area apprenticeships are among the highest-paying no-degree entry points in the country, with journeyman wages frequently exceeding $75–$92/hour plus full benefits. That’s a powerful, underused story for students and families — and the one Built for the Bay exists to tell.
The partners
Chisel Industries presents the day and brings an employer network and deep trades credibility, and the event benefits the San Francisco 49ers Foundation and its work with Bay Area youth. Together with leading employers, educators, and civic leaders, we’re making the trades impossible to ignore for high school students across the Bay Area.
AI doesn’t run on chips alone. It runs on the electricians, pipefitters, and builders who wire every data center, pour every foundation, and keep the lights on.
Your future is hiring.
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