Contractors teach safety to building students

Willard High School students are playing it safe with a little help from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Flintco Inc. and the Springfield Contractors Association.

Students in Willard's new building trades program received tips on workplace safety direct from OSHA on March 11, during what SCA leaders anticipate is the first of many such events throughout the Ozarks.

The program "gives them an introduction to what to expect on the job site, rules and regulations, responsibilities and, actually, some of the employer's responsibilities," said Dave Mann, a project manager for the Springfield office of Flintco Inc. and chairman of the SCA safety committee.

The March 11 safety program, underwritten for an undisclosed amount by Flintco Inc., is merely the latest sign of the strengthening relationships between SCA, area schools, and a growing number of building trades education programs designed to help high school students learn a living.

Practical job skills

Vocational training essentially vanished from the high school setting in the last two decades as power tools went by the wayside in favor of more emphasis on preparing students for college.

"The schools stressed so hard the continuing education, 'You have to go to college; you have to go to college,' and if you didn't want to go to college for whatever reason, you were made to feel kind of stupid and unsuccessful," said Kathy Baer, SCA employment director.

But an electrician or plumber who pulls down $60,000 to $70,000 a year without a degree is hardly "unsuccessful," she added.

The reality is that college isn't for everybody, and successful, rewarding careers can be had without a degree - provided the individual has the right job training, said Bill Nesbitt, owner of Nesbitt Construction and chairman of the SCA work-force development committee.

In fact, research shows that only 50 percent of high school students plan to attend college, and of those, only 50 percent complete a degree, Baer said, noting that those students not going to college need a place to learn job skills.

Building futures in Willard

Vocational training programs, such as building trades education, are stepping up to fill the skills-training gap in communities such as Nixa, Ozark and most recently, Willard.

The Willard building trades program was established in partnership with Ozarks Technical Community College, with the support of SCA and funding from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Students develop marketable skills through real-world experience, and they receive OTC vocational training class credit.

Willard R-II Schools Superintendent Kent Medlin said he's wanted to add a building trades program for the last five years.

"Willard is a growing town and our district is growing dramatically, and honestly we were seeing contractors that just could not find help," Medlin said. At the same time, "We had kids that were interested in a construction career at all levels, from holding a hammer and nail all the way up to being an architect, general contractor or engineer."

With more than $100,000 in grant funds, Willard established its building trades education program for the 2008-09 school year with veteran contractor and former school board member Steve Vaughn at the helm.

Willard purchased new textbooks and construction tools, retrofitted a bus to transport students and supplies to job sites, and it has just received a shipment of laptop computers.

"They need to know the traditional building skills," Medlin said, "but when they're making out a supply list or a cost estimate, they need to know how to use Microsoft Excel."

SCA, and especially its two-year-old work-force development committee, has played a key role, connecting the district with the National Center for Construction Education and Research for help with textbooks and curriculum, and conducting work site tours for Willard students on high-profile projects such as the JQH Arena. Through the generosity of SCA members, students on job-site tours receive their own safety glasses, as well as hardhats paid for by local unions.

SCA has also organized tours for youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs and is working on a site tour for Ozark High School's building trades students.

Meanwhile, the roughly 30 students enrolled in Willard's program are already putting their skills to work in their community. They've built two new park pavilions and remanufactured a third, and they're now working with the school maintenance department on a large press box and storage facility for the Willard High soccer team.

Construction career opportunities

Construction work relies on both brawn and brains, Baer said. Physical labor is essential, but that's not what it's all about.

Yes, there are plenty of task-oriented jobs involving hammers, saws, shovels and heavy equipment, but there are also many white-collar jobs, such as computer-aided design technicians and salespeople, Baer said. The range of skills utilized is incredibly broad, and the definition of "construction workers" includes drivers and mechanics; carpenters, electricians and plumbers; and architects, contractors and engineers.

Physical strength is still a necessity on the job site, she added, but so are lasers and laptops.