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Construction Students Pitch In, Help Weatherproof Home
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Students from Goodwill's Construction Skills Training program got a hands-on lesson in weatherproofing.
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Covered in dust and what looked like pieces of insulation, Shawn Blake drank a sip of water and looked on at the house he had just helped repair.
He and his fellow students from Goodwill’s Construction Skills Training program felt a sense of accomplishment.
The students took a field trip to a Habitat for Humanity house on January 18 in Charlotte where they got a hands-on lesson in weatherproofing. The house was in need of improvements so Goodwill, local community college students and Habitat volunteers stepped in to help.
Tall men cramped into a three-foot crawl space quickly went to work. Within two hours, the Habitat work was done thanks to the large group of volunteers in attendance.
Blake, an out-of-work landscaper, came to Goodwill’s construction program to gain experience in the business and to expand on his existing skills.
“This experience has made me more qualified and viable,” said Blake, adding he especially benefited from the use of hand and power tools, forklift operation, weatherization and math skills. “My resume is better. I’ve learned about green construction. I love accomplishing a job and knowing I did that.”
Joe Chambers, 50, had worked in construction all his life until the job market slowed down. With few positions available, he enrolled in the training program to get recertified in OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Association) and to learn new skills.
To make himself more marketable, Chambers learned about material costs, customer service, safety skills and improved his resume. He hopes his efforts will pay off, leading to employment.
Instructor Thomas Elijah knows his students will be ready for the workforce when they graduate in a few weeks.
“From the work they have done and the skills they have learned, they will be ready to get to work making the Charlotte construction scene more efficient, safe and knowledgeable,” Elijah said.
It may have been a field trip – and learning opportunity – for the construction students, but for the homeowner’s family, the improvement project was so much more.
“It’s good to know that people in this world care enough to help a neighbor out,” the homeowner’s son said. |
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