Talk to contractors in just about any town in the country, and the topic of labor shortages inevitably comes up. Many contractors see the problem as being chronic with no end in sight, at least while the economy remains strong. But there are companies that are trying to do something about it, with an eye toward cultivating the next generation of plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and other construction laborers.
Earlier this month Lowe’s Cos., the giant home-improvement retailer, teamed with more than 60 partners to introduce Generation T, an effort to shift negative or indifferent perceptions about the trades among students and their parents by demonstrating mobility and career opportunities that skilled trades offer.
Lowe’s and SkillsUSA hosted the first-ever Generation T Bunk Build at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. This regional community service project provided 300 students enrolled in SkillsUSA’s carpentry program the chance to work with skilled carpenters to build 100 bunk beds for the nonprofit Sleep in Heavenly Place.
Last summer, Turner Construction’s Nashville office, in partnership with the Rutherford County (Tenn.) Chamber of Commerce, conducted a Teacher Externship Program, an immersive two-week course that gives local middle-school teachers exposure to the ins and outs of the construction industry, so they can share their experiences with their students.
This is the second year this program has been offered. The first year draw five teachers, and the second 20 participants, according to Paul Lawson, Project Executive of Turner Nashville.
Lawson—who chairs the Chamber’s Rutherford Works Construction Council and is a member of its Executive Workforce Council—says that the Teacher Externship Program is part of a larger effort by the Chamber and county to expand the market’s labor force.
The two-week program gave the teachers an inside look at how a construction company works. They spent time at Turner’s office with estimators and area managers. The teachers also went into the field at one of Turner’s local active job sites: a $48 million, 95,623-sf expansion of the St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro, Tenn., which is scheduled for completion next April. (Gresham Smith is the architect and engineer on this project.)
Lawson says the teachers “shadowed” project managers, two engineers, two supervisors, and the project’s safety manager.
Turner Nashville intends to offer this program next summer, and Lawson would like to expand the course beyond two weeks, “which is pretty quick” for giving teachers with no previous construction knowledge or hands-on understanding about what’s involved in building a building.
The program, he says, “has helped to open their eyes to what construction really is, and to dispel misconceptions about construction work,” says Lawson. “A teacher can have an impact on, what, 60 students a year.”
For teacher David Duez, the program was a revelation that he shared with his eighth-grade Career Explorations class through a series of lessons. “The kids are very interested in it,” he says. “They are young, but it doesn’t hurt to throw as much as we can at them, and if something sticks, great.”
Related Stories
| Dec 6, 2010
Honeywell survey
Rising energy costs and a tough economic climate have forced the nation’s school districts to defer facility maintenance and delay construction projects, but they have also encouraged districts to pursue green initiatives, according to Honeywell’s second annual “School Energy and Environment Survey.”
| Dec 2, 2010
GKV Architects wins best guest room design award for Park Hyatt Istanbul
Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel, Architects, PC won the prestigious Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design for best guest room, Park Hyatt Macka Palas, Istanbul, Turkey. Park Hyatt Maçka Palace marries historic and exotic elements with modern and luxurious, creating a unique space perpetuating Istanbul’s current culture. In addition to the façade restoration, GKV Architects designed 85 guestrooms, five penthouse suites, an ultra-hip rooftop bar, and a first-of-its-kind for Istanbul – a steakhouse, for the luxury hotel.
| Dec 2, 2010
U.S Energy Secretary Chu announces $21 Million to improve energy use in commercial buildings
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that 24 projects are receiving a total of $21 million in technical assistance to dramatically reduce the energy used in their commercial buildings. This initiative will connect commercial building owners and operators with multidisciplinary teams including researchers at DOE's National Laboratories and private sector building experts. The teams will design, construct, measure, and test low-energy building plans, and will help accelerate the deployment of cost-effective energy-saving measures in commercial buildings across the United States.
| Nov 29, 2010
Data Centers: Keeping Energy, Security in Check
Power consumption for data centers doubled from 2000 and 2006, and it is anticipated to double again by 2011, making these mission-critical facilities the nation’s largest commercial user of electric power. Major technology companies, notably Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, and International Business Machines, are investing heavily in new data centers. HP, which acquired technology services provider EDS in 2008, announced in June that it would be closing many of its older data centers and would be building new, more highly optimized centers around the world.
| Nov 29, 2010
New Design Concepts for Elementary and Secondary Schools
Hard hit by the economy, new construction in the K-12 sector has slowed considerably over the past year. Yet innovation has continued, along with renovations and expansions. Today, Building Teams are showing a keener focus on sustainable design, as well as ways to improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ), daylighting, and low-maintenance finishes such as flooring.
| Nov 29, 2010
Renovating for Sustainability
Motivated by the prospect of increased property values, reduced utility bills, and an interest in jumping on the sustainability bandwagon, a noted upturn in green building upgrades is helping designers and real estate developers stay busy while waiting for the economy to recover. In fact, many of the larger property management outfits have set up teams to undertake projects seeking LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM, also referred to as LEED-EB), a certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
| Nov 23, 2010
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library and museum, plus the Bush Institute, is aiming for LEED Platinum. The 226,565-sf center, located at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, was designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern and landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh.
| Nov 23, 2010
Honeywell's School Energy and Environment Survey: 68% of districts delayed or eliminated improvements because of economy
Results of Honeywell's second annual “School Energy and Environment Survey” reveal that almost 90% of school leaders see a direct link between the quality and performance of school facilities, and student achievement. However, districts face several obstacles when it comes to keeping their buildings up to date and well maintained. For example, 68% of school districts have either delayed or eliminated building improvements in response to the economic downturn.