High school students face a difficult question that needs to be answered by the conclusion of their senior year: What happens next? For many, the traditional 4-year college path is an option that comes at too high a cost.
Thanks to the support from Thulani Jwaco and Jeff Trinh-Sy at Vuyo Community Partners, we held our very first Workforce Development Summit on March 17th at St. Paul College, where 54 students from 12 high schools in the Twin Cities metro area decided to spend their Spring Break learning more about the construction industry.
The Summit offered an opportunity for young adults from various backgrounds who were either already interested in working in trade fields, unsure of what they want to do next, or simply interested in finding out what other options exist a chance to take control of their future and decide what’s best for them.
“I’ve been told that the trades are not that interesting and pretty bad, so I wanted my own opinion on that,” said An Hoang, a senior at Central High School.
Students listened to a panel of speakers share their insights as leaders in the construction industries and had any questions about working in the field answered. The panel consisted of Martin Garcia of Four Brothers Construction, Marvin Smith of the National Association of Minority Contractors, Johnnie Burns of the City of Minneapolis Contract Compliance Division, and was led by the CEO of Makee Company, Lynn Pyngol.
Breakout sessions were held in workshop classrooms where students participated in hands-on learning experiences for three specific trades: carpentry, electrical, and sheet metal. The carpentry session was led by Heidi Wagner from Goodwill Easter Seals, and St. Paul College Instructors Keith Setley and Viang Paborriboon led the electrical and sheet metal sessions.
When asked what attending the event meant to the students, they told us:
“It’s an exploration day… I get to see other people get interested in it {trade work}. I get to see who I could possibly be working with in the future. Today I wanted to do this trip to talk to these speakers — I wanted to talk to the people who have done these things, people who are in the industry. I wanted to make connections,” said Kanyle Crawford of Gateway High School.
“It means taking a step towards my future, establishing connections. There’s amazing people who want the best for us, and I just really want to establish some connections so I can have an easier life and more fulfilling life,” said Hoang.
Here at Rebuilding Together Minnesota, we understand that revitalizing communities means investing in them, too. We’re delighted to see such enthusiasm come from the students who attended the event and are excited by what future opportunities exist to support young adults in our community entering the workforce.
We’d also like to thank St. Paul College for hosting and partnering in this event, Black Ladder Restoration for their sponsorship, and each of our panelist speakers and instructors for taking the time to share their knowledge with the students.
By coming together and sharing industry tips, best practices, and lived experiences, we have the power to set the next generation of contractors up for success. Together, we’re capable of creating a lasting impact on our community.