The construction industry in South Central PA and throughout the United States has been developing rapidly and is in a very high demand of new talent. The Office of Workforce Development recognizes the urgency and has developed a program for adults looking to upskill their pre-existing career in construction or begin a new career within the field of construction. Additionally, a camp is now available for high school-aged youth interested in this field to begin strengthening the pipeline of young talent.
During February of 2024, The Office of Workforce Development hosted the Introduction to Construction Program for Adults. This program gave participants the opportunity to meet with local employers from all levels of construction, including residential, commercial, industrial, infrastructure, and heavy civil, to learn more about the various employment opportunities and advancement pathways that are available within the construction industry. There was also a discussion held at this event, which covered the soft skills that are essential for success as an employee and leader within the construction industry. There was also a discussion held at this event which covered the soft skills that are essential for success as an employee and leader within the construction industry. The participants also engaged in technical skill training such as mathematics and topics related to the OSHA 10, and visited Volvo Construction in Shippensburg, PA to learn more about the wide range of construction equipment that is used. To wrap up the program, a networking event was held for camp participants to meet employers and learn more about local employment opportunities.
A few months later in June, The Office of Workforce Development welcomed a group of high school students to campus in partnership with the Franklin County Career and Technical Center to learn more about their desired career paths and opportunities within the construction field and experience the Ship community! Students spent two days with a carpentry instructor and another two days with a metalwork and electric instructor. They learned precision measurements and forming, blueprint reading and comprehension, safety and tool use, assembly steps, and electric circuitry. Throughout these lessons, students worked together in teams to build a small shed and even independently to build a desk lamp out of copper pipe. In addition to all of the hands-on experience, PA Career Link provided Virtual Reality (VR) headsets. Through the headsets, students took a virtual dive into multiple simulations within the construction industry. These simulations ranged from proper safety and use of tools to scenarios that tested their knowledge and skills. Campers thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and the Ship OWD team thanks PA Career Link for this amazing opportunity and for being part of our program!
Beyond learning the basics of construction, campers visited Tuckey Companies in Carlisle, PA where they were given a presentation about the Tuckey Company and the specifics of being a successful construction employee, followed by a tour of the company’s metal fabrication warehouse. Later in the week, campers were given the opportunity to visit DHM Excavating where they were able to walk around an active construction site and learn about various types of heavy equipment, safety procedures, and what a day in the life of a construction worker is like.
These two programs successfully highlighted career pathways in the construction industry by providing person-to-person connections and hands-on education in hard and soft skills. These camps would not have been possible without the support of Senator Bob Casey, the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, the PA Career Link’s BEP grant, and the many construction professionals who took the time out of their busy lives to support our programs!
Shippensburg University’s Office of Workforce Development was awarded a $275,000 grant from the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration in support of its South-Central Career Development and Readiness Initiative. Parts of these programs are supported by federal funds.
