Courtesy Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition
Whoever said building and construction trades is a man’s world must be light years behind the times.
A summer camp for fifth- to seventh-grade girls has been expanded to two weeks this year, giving hands-on opportunity and exposure to the industry’s many different careers.
“On day one, last year, we put a power screwdriver in their hand and they were scared to death,” program coordinator Doug Ford said. “By day five they were working with pneumatic nailers and building vertical gardens that we donated to nursing homes. They didn’t know each other to begin with so teamwork was part of it. The transformation was incredible. It was a huge hit.”
Ford, a Curtis Lumber Company vice president, is also co-founder with Pam Stott of the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition, a nonprofit organization launched eight years ago to address the construction industry’s skilled labor shortage by promoting such careers to students and young adults.
Females represent a large untapped pool of potential employees.
“We want them to understand there’s so many jobs within trades and not all of them are physical,” Ford said. “You’ve got project management, logistical, estimating. All these different jobs are part of trades that never get talked about. The only ones that get talked about are the guy on the roof, in a ditch or on a backhoe. We need to paint an accurate picture of all the things that are available to males and females.”
There’s plenty of financial incentive as careers in the trades can pay from $80,000 to well over $100,000 for jobs such as project manager.
The camp, held in late July, is hosted by Wilton-based Whitbeck Construction LLC and has room for 25 girls from throughout the Capital Region.
“There is a fee, but if someone can’t afford it we find sponsorships for them,” Ford said. “We don’t turn anyone away.”
Last year’s inaugural camp had a plethora of activities from building projects to field trips.
On day one, girls built a toolbox to keep things in. Over the course of the week they built a charcuterie board, an Adirondack chair and a dodecahedron (12-sided 3D figure) that involved math, science and teamwork.
Girls also toured an active home build by Saratoga Springs-based Witt Construction and visited a DA Collins Companies stone quarry.
A Construction Olympics timed event was held on the last day, with program supporters and local media on hand.
This year, a more advanced second week is being offered, too, thanks to funding secured by state Assemblywoman Carrier Woerner. Projects will be more advanced with even more emphasis on team building.
But introducing girls to the trades is just one of the Workforce Coalition’s many initiatives.
“One of the key things for us is educating school counselors because they really don’t have the tools to talk to kids about trades,” Ford said. “Over the last eight years one of the biggest wins for us has been getting school counselors on our side and giving them the tools to work with kids.”
Recently, the Coalition hosted a large workshop for more than 40 area school counselors at the $50 million new Mohawk Harbor Arena that’s expected to open this summer. Named the M&T Bank Center, it will be home to Union College’s men’s and women’s hockey teams in addition to hosting numerous other events and conventions.
It’s part of a broader revitalization effort with plans for a new hotel nearby, also.
School counselors engaged with all the different trades on site at the arena, and then went back to LeChase Construction Service’s Schenectady headquarters for training.
“We want counselors to see that every kid, male or female, regardless of their GPA (grade point average) should know what the trades are and the opportunities that exist,” Ford said. “In the past we’ve sent kids that struggle to trades and the rest of them go to college. That’s one of the things we’re trying to change as well. It’s not college or the trades. You can go to college, get into the trades and be hugely successful.”
Alex Dominguez, son of Hall of Fame jockey Ramon Dominguez, did an Eagle Scout project at the Saratoga Race Course backstretch and got so much satisfaction from it that he left Clemson University to join the construction industry.
Ford encouraged him to spent two days each with a remodeler, home builder, commercial builder and carpenters’ union – one day in the office and one in the field – giving each one a chance to show what they do.
Soon after, Dominguez joined Greenfield-based Munter Enterprises and is enjoying a successful career there.
“Alex has been with us about 18 months and has been performing great in everything he does,” Vice President Mike Munter said. “We’ve exposed him to a multitude of tasks from concrete work to framing and exterior envelope systems; all facets of work that we do.”
“All the different crews want to know, is Alex available to work with us,” he said. “He’s got a great work ethic, he’s smart. He really just wants to learn.”
Munter said a general laborer like Rodriguez has ample opportunities to move up the company ladder. “As he learns more he’ll take on more responsibilities, taking on his own specific tasks on site. Then eventually he’ll maybe have someone working with him. He could even be running crews and running projects.”
Munter said his company continues to look for qualified candidates to join the firm.
“If we could find a hundred individual guys and gals like Alex who want to learn and have an interest in these trades would be awesome,” he said.
Rodriguez is just one of the many examples of how the Workforce Coalition is addressing the construction industry’s most basic need, while creating opportunities for area young people. The non-profit organization has grown to 80 partnering members.
“The impact we’ve had is tremendous,” Ford said. “This thing has taken on a life of its own.”