Witnessing a $71 million building project beats learning construction and architecture in the classroom.More than a hundred Shenandoah Valley students donned hard hats and ducked beneath the yellow tape on a field trip in a massive construction zone. They got an up-close look at Careers Construction and Architecture, by meeting the people who live it every day.
The Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB) has become a 70-acre construction zone during an expansion and renovation project. It's the perfect place for high school students who think they have a future in technical and skilled trades.
Witnessing a $71 million building project beats learning construction and architecture in the classroom. The 120 students from Augusta and Rockingham have already expressed an interest in carpentry, engineering and technical trades. The tour of VSBD gives them a chance to meet men and women who know it best.
They learn not only how a building's systems all work together, but how much education it takes. Jay Wohlford of Simplex Grinnell said, "For me personally, I graduated high school, went into a two-year technical degree. My degree is in electronics engineering."
The students also find out how much money they could earn, and even a little bit about job security. Tony Meadows of Siemens Electronics said, "I think it's something that's definitely going to be in the future, with all the energy savings becoming a bigger and bigger issue. Government's pushing it."
Organizers of the construction zone field trip say it helps the students decide if they're on the right career path. The field trip was organized by Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) and Kjellstrom & Lee who is the contractor overseeing the VSDB project.
BRCC says students got a chance to see jobs with education demands that run from a high school diploma to apprenticeships to four-year degrees.
Reported by Ken Slack
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