In 2021, Rosendin established a Workforce Development Team dedicated to developing the next generation of electrical contracting. Over the last two years, this team has grown to allow team members to connect with students from early middle school through college across the country.
The Workforce Development Team is integral to Rosendin’s efforts to address the skilled craft labor shortage in the United States. Rosendin works locally with our International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) partners to inform young men and women about the opportunities and careers that await them in the electrical trade. By attending career fairs at local high schools, our teams educate students on the skills training offered by an apprenticeship and how that translates to financial independence.
Since 2018, Rosendin’s Arizona office has sponsored and participated in the annual Arizona Construction Career Days (AZCCD), which supports the growing need for students, teachers, and career counselors to better understand the many career opportunities available in the Construction Industry. AZCCD is the largest construction event that reaches out to high school students throughout the State of Arizona, to give students a hands-on construction experience.
Rosendin’s Virginia office has partnered with Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) for nearly ten years, participating in their annual Job for a Day (JFD) program. This day-long event allows 11th-12th grade students to shadow individual(s) or a business/organization in person. Rosendin volunteers talk to students 1:1 as they learn/observe the tasks and responsibilities necessary for a particular career cluster, field, or job.
Rosendin’s Oregon team partners with several high schools in the greater Portland metropolitan area to provide students with Early Learning Opportunities (ELO), while Rosendin team members also provide externships on weekends for educators to help them understand the career options available to their students. The success of these partnerships encouraged Rosendin’s Maryland office to offer their first teacher externship this past summer.
The efforts to inform parents and students of career opportunities in the construction industry are for more than just high school age. The Rosendin Foundation (TRF), the charitable arm of Rosendin Holdings, launched TRF Camp Build in 2023, a construction camp experience geared to middle school students. In its inception, three Rosendin offices in Tempe, AZ, Gallatin, TN, and Austin, TX participated in week-long camps, while the Anaheim, CA office participated in a one-day camp, and Modular Power Solutions in Sherman, TX provided a two-day camp. These camps gave students the chance to learn a variety of skilled trades basics from volunteers at Rosendin and with other trade partners. These skills include:
- Personal Safety
- Electrical
- Concrete/Rebar
- Soldering, Pipe Bending
- BIM (Building Information Modeling)
- Heavy Equipment Operation
- Framing/Woodworking
- Roofing/Painting
The TRF Camp Build program will return next summer and will add a second-year curriculum.
In addition, Rosendin partnered with Grand Canyon University in 2022 for a Pre-Apprenticeship for Electricians program. The inaugural class included 40 students in the one-semester program (16 credits and four courses). The courses include hands-on, real-world applications, and when completed, students were prepared to move into an IBEW electrician apprenticeship and begin a professional career in a growing field. From the first class, 38 students were accepted into the apprenticeship.
Rosendin’s Workforce Development Team continues to work hard to discover ways to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
