Hillsboro, OR (January 9, 2019) – Where are all of the construction workers? This is a challenging question being posed to the construction industry. Rosendin believes that many of these individuals are still in high school and are not aware of the lucrative careers available to them in the trades.
The labor shortage that the industry is facing is not improving in the near future, so companies are thinking outside of the box to engage the communities in which we work and live, not only with students but with parents as well. As an industry leader, Rosendin is introducing Electrical Construction to high school students early-on to show the opportunities available to them after high school or college graduation.
On January 8th and 9th, Rosendin’s Hillsboro office welcomed 15 high school students from the Hillsboro School District’s ”School-to-Career” program. Students completed 15 credited hours of early learning education in electrical construction alongside Rosendin staff members. Each morning students were welcomed with a “Stretch & Flex” routine — an informal all staff meeting that kick-started the day with a safety and health moment and light stretching. Throughout the day students explored each department within Rosendin including Project Management, Estimating, Building Information Modeling (BIM), IT/Technologies, Engineering, Pre-Fabrication, and Business Development, to name a few. Students heard from subject matter experts, in each of their respective fields, and how their role contributes to the overall project and company goals.
Members from Rosendin’s Oregon Management Team took students on a tour of the on-site pre-fabrication shop and warehouse and followed with a tour of an active job site. This program provides students with an understanding of how the construction process works. Through this, students have an opportunity to explore different career paths in construction including Electrician, Engineer, and Project Manager. An important part to getting a job is having a professional resume and knowing how to interview. Students received training through mock job interviews and resume writing sessions.
The Early Learning Opportunity (ELO) with the Hillsboro School District’s career program is the first of many to follow. Rosendin is currently engaging with the Sherwood School District in mid-January to provide the same opportunities to students.
“We want to introduce students to all of the opportunities that are available to them with a career in the trades, but our primary goal is to promote the importance of these jobs in building America’s future” said Courtney Hron, Business Development Manager (Rosendin). “Education is our greatest tool in times like these. We need to educate students, teachers, parents, counselors, and the community that there are high-wage and high-demand careers available in our industry today and they are only increasing.”