CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As cities across the region continue to grow so does the demand for construction services. According to the Associated Builders and Contractors, the construction industry is in need of hundreds of thousands of skilled workers to meet the demand in the country and build the places we live, work, and play.
TREMCO Construction Products Group launched a program locally to help attract more people to the field.
David Hutchinson is the Director of the “Rising Star Program”.
“What we try and do is expose them to not just what it is to hammer a nail or put a roof on, but to show what your future can actually be in the career,” he said.
From architecture to carpentry and roofing, the program is introducing teens and young adults of underrepresented communities to the building blocks of the construction industry.
The Rising Star program officially launched in the Grier Heights neighborhood Saturday afternoon. James Lee and Associates, Framework for the Future, Project 70Forward, and other organizations all came together to host the welcoming event called “Building a Future in Building.”
“Not everybody is going to go to a four-year college. Some kids are looking to work with their hands, they are looking to be involved in the community hands-on,” said Judith Brown, Executive Director for Project 70Forward. “This is a program that says we are going to take and train you.”
Hutchinson said it is about getting people the tools they need to get a jump start at a career in building.
“We have a ton of people who are retiring out of this industry, who have been in it for a long time, and someone has to take on that knowledge, so why not the young generation,” Hutchinson said.
He adds there is an uptick in green technology and sustainable construction.
“The world is changing and the buildings need to change with it,” Hutchinson said. “So if you are young and interested in changing the environment, it is a great pathway into that future.”
The curriculum is taught by industry professionals. Students get mentorship and job opportunities. It is also completely free, offering workforce development options needed in Charlotte.
“It’s important to meet people where they are. And going to those community centers, going to those houses of worship, going to those neighborhood meetings and exposing them to and saying hey these programs exist,” said North Carolina State Senator Mijtaba Mohammed, whose district includes Mecklenburg County.
Classes kick off in September at the Grier Heights Community Center. Hutchinson said it’s also about the youth having a role in the development of their neighborhoods.
“What we are trying to do is show the youth that they can be part of building or rebuilding your community and having a hand in that is something you can be proud of forever,” Hutchinson said.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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