Summer program offers paid construction training

Bryan Hensley: Working in a skilled trade is rewarding.

Sue Smith: Summer program provides career jumpstart.

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Missouri high school students interested in construction careers have a new path to gain hands-on learning, earn industry credentials and prepare for registered apprenticeship programs.

A paid preapprenticeship program will be launched this summer in the Ozarks.

Nearly 60 students from eight high schools – in Clever, Cole Camp, Bolivar, Marionville, Marshfield, McDonald County, Seymour and Verona – attended a March 6 event about the program at the Springfield headquarters for Carpenters Local 945.

“A couple of years ago, we started a conversation with the construction industry about what we can do to help people become more aware of apprenticeships,” said Sue Smith, workforce development specialist with the city of Springfield. “We crafted this to fill a need that they expressed.”

Up to 20 preapprenticeship spots will be available this summer.

Participants benefit from the Missouri Strategies for Training and Apprentice Readiness, or MoSTAR grant program, in connection with the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

They receive protective equipment, steel-toed work boots, and construction-related training required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Additionally, as a safety measure, they will be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator.

“We want to get them a good start,” Smith said.

Applicants must be age 18 by the end of May. The safety training is offered in June, and then the preapprenticeship program will run a minimum of eight weeks.

“This is a very special program because it is a paid position in the summer, so if you apply for it, make sure you know you are committing to working 40 hours a week for up to 10 weeks,” Smith said to the students.

Smith said participants will be paid an hourly wage, at least minimum wage but likely higher, that will vary based on industry partner. Following the experience, they can apply for formal apprenticeships, which typically last several years.

At the meeting, students heard from a panel of plumbers, painters, carpenters, electricians, ironworkers, framers and others in the construction trade. They talked about safety, the toughest and best parts of the work, and why they pursued their careers.

Justin Johns, training coordinator with the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, or UA Local 178, in Springfield, talked about the value of apprenticeship programs.

“One thing that really drew me to it was no school debt. You come in, you’re trained to do what we do for no cost to you. That’s huge,” Johns said. “You can double your wage in five years with us. You come in at $21.15 an hour.”

Bryan Hensley, an electrician and member of IBEW Local 453, said he did not want to talk high school students out of going to college.

“If you want to be a veterinarian or a school teacher or something that requires a degree, by all means, go out and do it, but don’t just go to college because that is what you think you have to do to get a high-paying job. The skilled trades certainly are very lucrative if that is what motivates you,” Hensley said. “But, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much money you make if you don’t enjoy what you do.”

Hensley said he prefers to work with his hands and solve problems for others.

“I see the fruits of my labor and am proud of what I accomplish,” he said. “It is also a job that lets me use my brain without being stuck at a desk.”

John Phillips, instructor with Carpenters Local 945, said the workforce has changed during his career.

“Thirty years ago, when I started, we didn’t host these kinds of events because there were people in line to take the spots we had open,” Phillips said. “I have apprentices now that are making six figures. It’s just incredible. That didn’t happen in the past.”

Trenton Freiburger, a senior at Verona High School, plans to study construction management at Pittsburg State University, and wanted to know more about the new program. He said getting experience now will help when he is pursuing a degree.

“I like hands-on working, and I’m not afraid to get dirty and do hard work,” he said.

Jarod Olson, a building trades teacher at Marshfield High School, brought 19 students to the meeting.

“They’re interested in going and working a trade right now, and the need for young tradesmen and women is pretty high,” he said. “It is a great opportunity to go directly from high school to their career.”

At the meeting, students were able to interact with construction companies and workers. They also learned about structured apprenticeship programs that are available locally.

“They are able to have an actual career where they’re getting a pension, where they’re getting health benefits,” he said.

Olson said students who succeed in the construction field are self-starters.

“Everybody wants employees who are willing to learn and willing to show up every day,” he said. “They can teach them anything else.”