Greetings Career Academy Construction Supporter,
As you know our region, state, and country is experiencing a lack of interested youngsters and potential employees in the construction trades thus adding to the skills gap each day. We as the FWCS Career Academy have the obligation to fulfill the needs of local and regional businesses. To fulfill these needs we must continue to expand our program to make sure no student interested is missed, overlooked, or turned down due to class availability. Our campaign to make a presence in Middle Schools has gone well and the numbers in our department are growing each year. We have reached the point of being at max capacity with the teachers we have and the question that lingers is “what’s next”.
This is where you can help. We are attempting to pilot a new introductory construction and industry program for sophomores. This piloted program will need support in various ways; community activism, financial support, industry tool support, and of course materials to build the new classroom and lab space. Money and time are not on our side of this uphill battle, but with the program in place we anticipate seeing our numbers grow and the region benefiting with new, educated, certified, excited young apprentices.
Our goal is to start the program with a class of 25 to 30 freshman or sophomore students in two different class periods. The curriculum will cover the basics of construction and introductory exploration of carpentry, concrete, masonry, machining, heavy highway, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, painting, delivery, and flooring. We will load the class with guest speakers from all trades, power and hand tool basics and lab room skill developing, hands-on projects. The class would not travel out each day to work sites much like our advanced classes, but would instead use the time to develop interest and a career path to continue through our program and into the trades. The fact of the matter is, the more time we have with them, the more students will be comfortable with, passionate about, and continue in the trades.
What needs to be done currently, is to gather a team of industry professionals that we can form for a couple brief planning and action meetings. Please respond as soon as possible if you are interested in helping in any way. If you could briefly explain your interest and plan that would help me determine the next step.
As always thank you for your time and commitment to the continued success and expansion of our program! I look forward to hearing back from you, please email me at Christopher.Roberts@fwcs.k12.in.us or call 260-710-2702 with your companies or teams response and their best point persons contact information.
Sincerely,
Christopher Roberts
FWCS Career Academy
Construction Trades Department
1200 S. Barr St.
Fort Wayne IN, 26802