October Events for Careers in Construction Month
October is Careers in Construction Month, an initiative that highlights the construction industry and inspires the next generation of skilled workers. The Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia Chapter (AGC), the National Association of Minority Contractors Oregon Chapter (NAMC), and Portland Public Schools (PPS) have partnered to create and host a variety of virtual events for students and young people across Oregon.
On October 6 at 9:30 am, Nate McCoy, executive director of NAMC, will kick-off Careers in Construction Month and the virtual events. Over the course of the day, students and teachers can choose from four virtual site visits that highlight a different company. The companies participating include Raimore Construction, EC Electric, Todd Construction, and Power Systems West. The objective is to showcase the breadth of the construction industry and the multiple career pathways available.
On October 13, two panel discussions will be offered virtually to discuss registered apprenticeship. The first panel includes coordinators from a variety of registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs who will discuss their training program, application process, and how best to prepare for a career in the trades. In a separate webinar, a panel of current apprentices will discuss their training and on-the-job experience and offer tips and advice on how to be successful. These two webinars will help students and teachers understand apprenticeship and the different paths to complete the training.
Please visit Build-Oregon for event details and links to the webinars.
Additional information and resources will be shared through the Build-Oregon social media accounts. Please follow Build-Oregon’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to access this info. And if you are hosting any Careers in Construction Month activities, tag posts with the following hashtags: #careersinconstructionmonth and #webuildoregon.
For questions or more information, please contact Aaron Bouchane.
Pre-Apprenticeship as a Construction Training Pathway
We talk a lot about registered apprenticeship as a training opportunity for the construction industry. But young people often lack the skills and experience to be competitive in the application process. Pre-apprenticeships are a great way to gain experience, build credentials, and prepare you with the skills to succeed in your chosen trade.Pre-apprenticeship programs offer an approved curriculum that is specific to the construction industry. This may include construction math, basic hand tool use, blue print reading and safety, and hands-on activities to practice these skills. Participants will learn about trade jobs and pathways, including apprenticeship. Programs can also assist participants with work clothing, tools, access to childcare, and assistance with transportation costs. And many programs work with their graduates to pursue registered apprenticeship or jobs within the skilled trades.
Click here for more information about pre-apprenticeship in Oregon.
And if you are interested in seeing the impact pre-apprenticeship can have, here’s a good video to watch.
As Oregonians know, recent wildfires devastated the Santiam Canyon from the Santiam Junction through Mill City. Homes, businesses, and lives were lost in the catastrophic fires. But hope has arisen like a Phoenix from the ashes as a group of contractors is forming to step in and provide aid where they can. The Santiam Rebuild Group, headed by Nick Harville at SEDCOR, has mobilized to provide materials, labor, funds, and expertise to residents of the Santiam Canyon. Harville put the call out to his members, and with the help of the Marion and Polk County Homebuilders Association, and the Salem Contractors Exchange, within a few days nearly 70 companies have stepped up to help.
Some of the immediate needs that are being addressed range from providing a double-wide “construction type trailer” for a headquarters for the many aid organizations involved, to materials and labor for an ADA approved ramp. Companies are donating materials such as gravel, lumber, wiring, and other construction materials, as well as the labor needed for immediate response teams. The list is constantly changing and needs are being met hourly by a very generous group of companies. Something else that is important and being addressed at this time is helping victims to avoid unscrupulous companies who prey on people in times of tragedy. The Santiam Rebuild Group is working with local aid agencies to ensure ethical and quality responses to those in need, and to ease the burden faced by their fellow Oregonians however they can. If you have questions, donations, or comments, please contact Nick Harville at SEDCOR or Frosti Adams at AGC.