Workforce, Apprenticeship, & Engineering Careers with Growth Sector

In this episode of The Capstone Conversation, host Jared speaks with Gabe Hanzel-Sella, national program director at The Growth Sector, a San Francisco-based nonprofit founded in 2008 that helps community college students access high-wage engineering degrees and careers through a structured, supported pathway. Gabe describes the organization’s engineering degree apprenticeship model, including a pre-apprenticeship summer bridge with just-in-time math support, hands-on projects, a $2,000 stipend, and ongoing coaching from student support specialists, plus paid university and employer internships that can lead to part-time work during school and full-time roles after graduation. They discuss employer partnerships such as Veolia tours to broaden career awareness, recruitment through community colleges and trusted community messengers, and a student example illustrating the long transfer path, mentorship, and eventual entry-level engineering employment. Gabe highlights a Department of Labor grant focused on civil and transportation engineering and invites public agencies and employers to partner.