CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Inside the Carolinas Electrical Training Institute in mid-July, the kids there, wearing hard hats and gloves, were laser-focused.
The work they were doing could eventually open new pathways.
“People think about STEM, and they don’t think about construction," Jolsna Thomas told WCNC Charlotte's Nick Sturdivant. "Construction is all about math. It’s all about figuring out problems and finding solutions."
Thomas is the President of the Rosendin Foundation, the company leading this construction camp for kids, which is called TRF Camp Build.
Camp instructors teach middle schoolers basic tool safety and skills like carpentry, cement work, painting, and soldering.
“They are going to learn how to build virtually with a VR headset - building cars and getting an estimate off that build,” Thomas said.
Troy Vandine, regional workforce development trainer for Rosendin, said the children are learning valuable skills.
“They have now learned something that nobody can take from them," Vandine said. "They can pick up any tool and they can still know how to screw board A to board B. They know how to measure it and cut it."
Vandine said the program is a stepping stone to careers in construction.
“We really go through all the building trades. We highlight careers that are offshoots to the building trades as well,” he shared.
Numbers from Associated Builders and Contractors show by 2025, the industry will need to bring in nearly 454,000 new workers on top of normal hiring to meet demand.
“We are doing soldering, so, I made this,” Sebastian Agui said, as he held a fixture he made.
Agui is in the eighth grade and said he’s also there for friendships. The same can be said for sisters, Toya and Toni Hammonds, who are in the sixth grade.
“Everybody here is nice," Toni mentioned as she smiled. "You get to use tools and have fun."
RELATED: New training academy aims to fill open jobs and open opportunities within construction industry
Thomas said they also do activities centered around emotional well-being and team building.
“The more exposure these kids have to these opportunities, the more likely they’ll feel comfortable to do this,” she stated.
At the end of the camp, the kids received a starter set of tools.
Contact Nick Sturdivant at nsturdiva1@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.