The Building Bridges program provides high school-aged students with valuable construction and welding skills and a pathway to a stable skilled trades career
LOS ANGELES (July 20, 2026) — BRIDGE Housing, the leading nonprofit affordable housing developer on the West Coast, joined Harbor Freight Tools for Schools – the flagship program of the Smidt Foundation – along with dozens of parents, community members, and other supporters on Friday to celebrate the graduation of 33 South Los Angeles teenagers from an innovative hands-on skilled trades education program.
The Building Bridges program provides training in construction and welding to young residents of the Jordan Downs and Evermont affordable housing communities through an “earn and learn” program that also delivers a paycheck and valuable industry credentials that can lead to future employment in high-demand careers.
“The Building Bridges program exemplifies BRIDGE Housing’s commitment to providing opportunities for our residents alongside stable and affordable housing,” said Ken Lombard, President and CEO of BRIDGE Housing. “Thanks to our partnership with Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, we are helping young residents discover new talents and develop new skills that can form the foundation of a lifelong career. We’re proud to equip young people with the tools to succeed long after this program ends.”
Skilled trades professionals, like electricians, welders, and builders, are retiring faster than they can be replaced, yet most L.A. public high schools have stopped providing skilled trades classes. The need is especially acute in L.A., where major infrastructure projects include rebuilding from the 2025 wildfires, port electrification, and preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“The skilled trades offer life-changing opportunities, but too many young people lack the opportunity to discover them,” said Belen Vargas, Senior Director of Los Angeles County Programs for Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. “Through Building Bridges, students gain hands-on experience, earn industry credentials and discover career paths that can provide long-term economic opportunity. We’re proud to partner with BRIDGE Housing to help open doors for young people in South Los Angeles.”
A recent national survey commissioned by Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, found that an overwhelming majority of American voters, parents, and students support expanding skilled trades education in public high schools. Students who have taken these classes said they felt more confident about their future, yet limited access to skilled trades education has left high schools unable to meet student demand.
The Building Bridges program exposes young BRIDGE residents to pathways to rewarding, high-paying careers and supports the development of the local workforce. The program has experienced a seven-fold increase in enrollment, from 17 students in the 2024 pilot program to an expected 120 students in the expanded year-round 2026-27 program, which began this summer.
To date, Building Bridges has disbursed more than $107,000 in student stipends. Participants can also graduate with industry-recognized certifications from the American Welding Society (AWS), National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as leadership development and career readiness, supportive services, and access to resources that help them pursue career opportunities.
“This program was about much more than wood and metal,” said Miguel Sanchez, 17, a Building Bridges graduate. “The skills we’ve learned and the confidence we’ve built can open doors to careers, education, and opportunities we may not have imagined before.”
Several Building Bridges graduates have taken the next step through a paid fellowship with Harbor Freight Fellows and gained real-world experience with Portrait Construction on an active construction site at Jordan Downs.
BRIDGE Housing, in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), is a lead residential partner in the $1 billion redevelopment of the Jordan Downs public housing complex in Watts. BRIDGE also recently opened 180 affordable apartments at the Evermont mixed-use community in South LA.
Building Bridges is made possible by the joint efforts of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools and BRIDGE Housing. Other partners include Dynamic Education, Watts Believe, Chase Bank, Better Tomorrows, City of Los Angeles – HIRE L.A. Youth Employment Program, and the Joseph Drown Foundation. El Nido Family Centers, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit and the resident service provider at Jordan Downs, is also instrumental to the success of Building Bridges through community outreach and recruitment.
About BRIDGE Housing
BRIDGE Housing Corporation is a leading nonprofit owner, developer, and manager of high-quality affordable housing on the West Coast, with a mission to strengthen communities and improve lives. Founded in 1983, BRIDGE Housing has participated in the creation of more than 23,000 affordable homes in California, Oregon, and Washington, with a total development cost of $6.8 billion. Its current $5 billion portfolio totals more than 15,500 apartments that are home to more than 35,000 residents, with another 8,000 additional units in the development and acquisition pipelines. For more information, visit https://bridgehousing.com/.
About Harbor Freight Tools for Schools
Harbor Freight Tools for Schools is a program of The Smidt Foundation, established by Harbor Freight Tools owner and founder Eric Smidt, to advance excellent skilled trades education in U.S. public high schools. With a deep respect for the dignity of these fields and for the intelligence and creativity of people who work with their hands, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools aims to drive a greater understanding of and investment in skilled trades education, believing that access to quality skilled trades education gives high school students pathways to graduation, opportunity, good jobs, and a workforce our country needs. Harbor Freight Tools is a major supporter of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools program. For more information, visit: https://hftforschools.org/.
HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS and THE SMIDT FOUNDATION are registered trademarks owned or licensed by The Smidt Foundation.
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