The donation came from a joint labor-management trust fund administered by the Teamsters and the Associated General Contractors.

 

“ACE High School is a very valuable community asset. We consider it the perfect place to make an investment in the future of the region,” said Paul Tea, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 533.

 

The charter high school is funded by contributions from the public, organizations and the state of Nevada in the same per-pupil amount received by local school districts. Students receive a standard four-year high school curriculum with the addition of training in diesel mechanics, construction, drafting and design.

"The average age of a construction worker is now past 40 and edging upward," Tea said. “ACE High School brings new talent into the trades.”

The school graduated its first class in 2003. Its average class size is 20 students. From 2003 to 2009, 52 percent of its graduates found employment in the construction industry. One in three of those entered apprenticeship programs. Twenty-nine percent of graduates have gone on to college, seven percent volunteered for military service and 12 percent found positions in other fields.

Building trades students may also earn up to 13 college credits toward a construction management degree at Truckee Meadows Community College. The school's goal is to graduate individuals with the ability to pursue post-secondary training in any construction field.

The donation was presented to the students in front of their current construction project. When completed, the home will be put on the market with the proceeds going toward future programs. Six homes built by the students since 2003 have brought more than $1.5 million to the school.

Teamsters Local 533 represents 2,300 workers at a wide range of public and private sector organizations throughout northern Nevada and eastern California.