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California training programs, and what happened to the people who took them

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Architectural Drafting

Rio Hondo College · Whittier, CA

Cost
$736
Length
64 weeks
Working 6 months later
Not reported

Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.

What happened to people who took this

People enrolled
30
Finished the program
100%Based on 31 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
Working 6 months later
Not reported
Earnings in one quarter after
Not reported

The job this trains for

This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.

No regional figures for this program's city

Whittier is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.

Architectural and Civil Drafters

Job ads may call this: Draftsman · Draftsperson · Civil Drafter · Drafting Technician

Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.

  • Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
  • Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
  • Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
  • Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
Show 4 more things this job involves
  • Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.
  • Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
  • Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
  • Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.
Typical pay in California
$78,662per year
Projected openings
10,740
Projected change
+7%
Usually needs
Associate's degree

Getting in

Experience needed first
None
Training after you are hired
None

No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.

These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: Two-year degree — 32% of the people doing this work.

California says this job usually needs: Associate's degree. 40% of the people doing it went less far than that.

No high school diploma
1%
High school diploma
10%
Started college, no degree
29%
Two-year degree
32%
Four-year degree
23%
Master's degree
5%
Doctorate or professional degree
0.7%

This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.

Program details

This program provides in-person instruction only.

This certificate of achievement provides a focused course of study for students in preparation for careers as drafters in support of architectural projects. Emphasis is placed on visualization of three-dimensional objects and the methods and techniques to express buildings and similar objects on two-dimensional media. Drafting basics are addressed, including linework, dimensioning, and symbology in the context of appropriate industry standards. The coursework includes the preparation of architectural building plans as required for project approval and construction. The use of computer-aided drafting (CAD) software and state-of-the-art building modeling software is an integral component to the certificate.

Someone else may be able to pay for this

This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.

The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California

  • Whittier AJCC Affiliate to Rio Hondo AJCCAffiliate site

    Phone: 562-907-6995

    9401 Painter Ave.Room D301Whittier, CA 90605about 3.4 miles away

    Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Has a veterans' representative

  • East San Gabriel Valley AJCCComprehensive center

    Phone: 626-934-5701

    14101 E. Nelson AvenueHacienda La Puente Adult Education (HLPAE)La Puente, CA 91746about 4.1 miles away

    Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Has a veterans' representative

  • Rio Hondo America`s Job Center of CaliforniaComprehensive center

    Phone: 562-946-2237

    10400 Pioneer BlvdSuite 9Los Angeles, CA 90670about 5 miles away

    Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am -5:00pm

    Has a veterans' representative

Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.

Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List

How this gets paid for, and what to ask

Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.

The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.

How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you