In her senior year of high school, Julia Theobald received some advice that most young adults have never heard.

At age 18, Julia Theobald chose to pursue a construction trades apprenticeship. She eventually selected the role of Heavy Equipment Operator while working with Local 49.

Julia was told there was an option other than college or the military after high school. In fact, her stepfather advised her to not even bother with college.

“I thought, why would I go into debt when I didn’t even have a plan for what I wanted to study in college or where I wanted to be afterwards,” says Theobald. To say that this line of thinking came as a shock to her friends is an understatement.

As her friends and classmates at Zimmerman High School were applying to colleges or the military, Theobald’s news took them by surprise, in particular because she was an honor roll student and even a math tutor.

“Everyone around me just expected that I would to go the traditional route and get a college degree,” she says.

“I know people were shocked, but a career in construction just called to me. I knew it was the right fit,” says Theobald. “Unfortunately, I’ve seen five people that I graduated high school with drop out of college with a bunch of debt, while I’m here about to buy my first home. I wish more people knew of the option of going into a trade if they’re unsure about college.”

Read Julia’s Story here.

Julia Started A Career Pathway Through Apprenticeship

The possibility of a 21-year-old buying their first home might seem outrageous to the majority of college juniors and seniors her age, but not for someone like Theobald, who has been learning and earning for two years through the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), Local 49, as a heavy equipment operator apprentice.

Before starting at the Local 49, Theobald,  started as a pre-apprentice, dedicating her time to gaining the training she needed at Summit Academy, located in Minneapolis, right off of Olson Highway.

“I actually learned about Summit Academy from my mom,” says Theobald. “She remembered seeing their commercials on TV and figured it’d be a great opportunity – and it was.”

Theobald on the job site. At Summit Academy, Theobald participated in two 10-week long pre-apprenticeship programs for carpentry and heavy equipment.

After 20 weeks of class, it was time to take the aptitude test, along with 100 other people hoping to ace it and have a chance of getting into the Local 49 apprenticeship program. Julia was one of ten people chosen to take part in the five-week pre-apprenticeship training that would prepare her for getting a job in the union. Once this was completed, Theobald was on the job hunt, looking to get hired by a union contractor and be on her way to starting the apprenticeship program with the Local 49.

“It’s hard work. I think some people don’t understand the knowledge and expertise that is needed to do what we do,” says Theobald.
“Becoming a part of the Local 49 absolutely transformed my life. Until my stepdad had mentioned getting into a union, I had no idea about this option while I was in high school,” she says. “Even during my pre-training, I didn’t quite realize how great getting into a union could be.”

The pay is great, but what’s even more exciting, there’s a ton of benefits to working in the union – good pension, great healthcare, ongoing training, and the option to invest in a 401k.

At the Local 49, apprentices get top training at a state-of-the-art facility in Hinckley, Minn., that has the ability to produce the best, most professional Operating Engineers in the industry. Once starting at the Local 49, apprentices get to earn while they learn, and begin building an unbeatable health (medical and dental) package and pension plan.

For more stories about women in Minnesota’s construction trades, check out Success Stories on ConstructionCareers.org. Through these stories, real construction workers share their experience in Minnesota’s construction trades – how they got into the trades, why construction is right for them, and what they get out of their work. ConstructionCareers.org also has lots of information about how to apply for an apprenticeship, what type of work is expected for each construction profession, and reasons why high school students should explore the trades while also exploring going to college or serving in the military.

Gregg Adler, Skilled Trades Educator at St. Paul Harding High School

Harding High School Career and Technical Education teacher Gregg Adler waits for his students to join a distance learning Google Meet session. As the mics turn on and class starts, Adler checks in with each student. He knows their favorite cars and what positions they play on sports teams.

After the check-ins he starts the day with the same reminder.

“Hey everybody, you may not know how to do something today but that’s why you’re here— to learn skills to make you self-reliant and employable,” Adler said. “Ask questions and remember, through learning these skills you can have a very successful career and productive, satisfying adult life.”

“I tell my students every day that these skills go beyond the classroom — that they are something you can do on the job and in your own home,” Adler said. “The biggest obstacle that prevents people from starting or attempting something is the fear of incompetence. As a teacher, it’s my job to change that narrative from a fear of incompetence to saying, ‘I can do this,’ and eventually, ‘I did this.’”

Adler encourages his students to take on challenges and embrace new learning opportunities and he leads by example. Adler has taught more than 30 different courses in his career. He began his career as an Agricultural Education teacher at Buffalo High School, in Buffalo, Minnesota, and has added technology, business and work experience licenses to his resume. This is his twenty-second year of teaching.

Adler assists a student in the woodshed during the summer 2019 Minnesota Trades Academy(MTA) construction internship camp. Adler has served as a camp mentor and workshop leader at MTA for four years.

There’s a reason students enjoy talking to Adler and sharing their goals with him — it’s because they feel empowered with each conversation.

“I tell my students that the skilled trades are more than a job. First, it’s a great career that will provide for you and your family and you can use those skills in your own home and to serve your community,” Adler said.

He said his courses at Harding are exploratory and geared toward students who may not be familiar with the construction fields at all.

“We start with the construction basics; safety, apply math and measurement to our projects,” Adler said. “For a lot to kids who haven’t ever held a tool before, the course can be intimidating but by taking hold of the opportunity to get hands-on experiences, the majority of my students leave class telling me ‘I’m good at this, I could do this after high school’ and that realization is huge.”

Practicing the Skills, Highlighting the Career Fields

Adler also prepares presentations for his students about the apprenticeship process, post-secondary education, career fields within the construction industry,  and the benefits of careers in the skilled trades.

“Many of my students are immigrants, or their parents have not gone to college or they work multiple jobs,” Adler said. “I preach ‘66 by 22,’ if you graduate from high school and invest one or two years at a technical college, within two years in a union apprenticeship program  program you can be making over $66,000 a year with benefits.”

According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, in Minnesota, 29% of families with a single female head of household are in poverty. Nearly half, 48.2%  of households, pay more than 30% of their income for rent.

“Many of my students work jobs on top of attending school to support their families,” Adler said. “Giving our students opportunities and skills to be successful through an apprenticeship, where they are earning a living wage with the opportunity for regular raises, is one way we break the chain of intergenerational poverty.”

Partnering with Construction Career Pathways

“Within the online learning system, we are evolving our courses to fill the skills gap in America and meet the requirements of Minnesota’s future workforce,” Adler said. “We often partner with Construction Career Pathways and its website, ConstructionCareers.org, for career information and extracurricular activities that students can participate in throughout the school year to supplement their training.”

The Twin Cities-based nonprofit Construction Careers Foundation supports Minnesota educators such as Gregg Adler with construction career resources and connections that they, in turn, can use to inspire and prepare Minnesota’s next generation of construction professionals.

Construction Courses During the School Year, Minnesota Trades Academy in the Summer

At Harding, several students who have participated in the school’s construction trades classes have also joined the Minnesota Trades Academy (MTA), a summer construction internship program that develops essential skills and experiences needed for students to enter the workforce upon high school graduation with a high-paying career or prepared to enter post-secondary education.

Adler has served as a team lead and instructor at MTA for four summers.

“The opportunity is incredible,” Adler said. “High school sophomores, juniors and graduating seniors get paid to learn construction skills and work on real projects that positively impact their community such as as this past summer, installing a new concrete walkway for an elderly resident.”

Adler recommends his students participate in MTA because they earn more money per hour than most minimum wage jobs, the experience serves as a resume builder and the connections they make in the program prepare them for apprenticeships with a variety of local building and construction trades unions.

Construction Skills are Life Skills

“More than anything, I want my students to see that they can be successful in construction,” Adler said. “The skills they learn they will use in a career but also can be used around their house or in their neighborhood serving their community.”

Adler shares his own personal projects as real-life examples of how students can use construction tools at home. He tells them about his experiences restoring houses, where he installs plumbing, does electrical work and finishes flooring.

“There are so many construction careers available for young people who want to show up early, stay late, work hard, earn a good living and have pride in their accomplishments,” Adler said. “We need educators and counselors to serve as advocates for the construction field and mentor young people. All it takes is giving students the opportunity to learn about the apprenticeship process and some experience working with tools — those who take an interest and apply themselves will unlock their potential because they know they are capable of succeeding.”

Visit ConstructionCareers.org for more information about the apprenticeship process and the benefits of joining a union and starting an apprenticeship. Also resource the Careers page to learn more about the 30+ careers in Minnesota’s construction industry.

Master Plumber Trevor Ogilvie graduated as a journeyman from Local 15 in 2006. Ogilvie has since served the plumbing field in a multitude of roles, most recently coming full circle as the union training director, leading apprentices through the same skills he learned earlier in his career.

Where others see obstacles, Trevor Ogilvie sees opportunities. When people bring up problems, Ogilvie thinks in terms of possibilities. This sentiment has served as the bedrock for Ogilvie’s successful career in construction as a plumber for Local 15.

“Even before high school started, I knew college was not an option for me,” Ogilvie said. “I grew up with three older brothers in a very low-income household. When my senior year of high school started, I had to make a decision on how I was going to change my situation.”

Ogilvie grew up on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota. He knew college would mean taking on debt that he could not pay off and enrolling for classes he could not afford.

“I worked throughout high school, giving up on sports in order to focus on earning money,” Ogilvie said. “What I discovered was that I could earn money working with my own two hands. I took on side jobs doing construction, fixing machines and snowmobiles, and repairing fences – all involved skills that I could practice and master along the way.”

Ogilvie’s first jobs made him familiar with a variety of tools and practices.

“I started to notice people around me who made a living working with their hands,” Ogilvie said. “Whenever we built something or needed someone to fix a home, there was a person for roofing, someone for wiring, someone for framing but everyone needed a plumber.”

When he is not teaching plumbing apprentices, Ogilvie enjoys ice fishing, playing hockey and spending time with his family. PC: Ogilvie

Ogilvie saw firsthand how a career in plumbing represented a valuable skillset for people in his community.

“I didn’t grow up having family or friends in the construction industry,” Ogilvie said. “So, I learned through taking shop classes at Greenway High School and reading books on plumbing and piping. I was determined to learn this skill and pursue it as my career.”

Four days after graduating from high school, Ogilvie contacted Plumbers Local 15.

From Apprentice to Educator

Ogilvie has served with Plumbers Local 15 for more than 20 years now. However, his job title has changed showing just how diverse this career path can evolve.

Since completing his apprenticeship program, Ogilvie has continuously sought growth within his profession. He has obtained his Master Plumber license, spent many years working in the field, successfully created and ran his own business, and then branched into the area of inspections. Throughout his career Ogilvie has served as an Officer for MAPMO, taught future plumbers in the Minneapolis Plumbers JJATC, and served on IAPMO’s Education and Training board as a committee member. Ogilvie’s passion for the field of plumbing is evident in all that he does. This passion is what guided him back to where it all began and nudged him into becoming the current Training Director.

“I want to educate people to better their lives in the same way I did,” Ogilvie said. “The opportunity to be a training director means I get the privilege to work with new apprentices from the Twin Cities, and surrounding areas. This career path has given me so many opportunities in my life, and I am proud to walk alongside those who will do the same for theirs.”

Ogilvie also recommends taking construction and shop classes in high school to learn the names and applications of tools and gain experience with tape measure math.

“When you sign up for an apprenticeship, stick with it,” Ogilvie said. “Plumbing is not an easy trade — it’s a very skilled, demanding, high-paced profession to learn, so you have to stay motivated and passionate to succeed.”

Insight into the Plumbing Trades

“Stop thinking of plumbing as a stereotypical job of unclogging toilets,” Ogilvie said. “The average person doesn’t comprehend the infrastructure of plumbing in buildings. It’s such a diverse trade — you can work on new commercial construction, rehabilitation of 150-year-old buildings in Minneapolis, you can even be employed by a city and do service and inspection work.”

In addition to getting a plumbing license, people in the plumbing career field can also earn a medical gas license, gasfitter license and ASSE certification for backflow to help protect public drinking water.

“You have so much room to grow a career in the plumbing field,” Ogilvie said. “You get to work full time while you go to school, earn a pension, have access to great health benefits and if you graduate out of the program — you leave debt free.”

During Ogilvie’s apprenticeship, he built two houses because he could work and afford a mortgage all while pursuing his education.

Start an Apprenticeship Today

At this time, Plumbers Local 15 is accepting applications for apprenticeship through January 28, 2021. The application process is normally in-person but has been updated to accommodate online applications, too.

“We have a story on Construction Career Pathways News page that explains the work and apprenticeship process for Plumbers Local 15,” said Sarah Lechowich, senior director with the Construction Careers Foundation (constructioncareers.org). “We highly encourage students interested in starting a career right out of high school to apply now.”

“I have a phenomenal career as a plumber, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else,” Ogilvie said. “You can have this career, too but you’ll have to work for it.”

Birchwood, Wisconsin — In middle school, Annesa Loew thought some of her math and science classes were just not that interesting. It wasn’t until she attended a project-based charter high school that she realized how a teacher’s teaching style could affect how much she enjoyed a class.

Today, 22-year-old Loew has found the perfect learning style for her success through hands-on work. She applies this learning style everyday on the construction site as an oiler with IUOE Local 139 Wisconsin Operating Engineers.

“Lectures and memorizing were boring to me. They never made me feel excited about school or motivated in class,” Loew said. “In high school, I took project-based courses. That’s where I really got to investigate topics and ideas that I was interested in learning about. Turns out I really do like math and science. My favorite project was about how cancer cells spread.”

Loew said hands-on projects and individualized research motivated her to manage her time, ask questions if she needed help and communicate with teachers and students to find resources that would help her present her ideas.

“I wish that every student got to attend classes with different learning styles,” Loew said. “Some students end up thinking they aren’t good at school just because they don’t learn the same way as their friends.”

Weighing College or Apprenticeship Training

Loew enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Stout but after her first semester she was certain that the classes she was taking toward a degree in marketing and business education didn’t inspire her.

“I met with a counselor and was left to plot out all these classes for the next four years,” Loew said. “I just thought, ‘How do I know this is for me?’ Every semester was a lot of money, then there were loans and how did I even know what job I would get after graduation.”

Loew said she knew going into college that she would have to take out loans. She also earned scholarships to offset school costs.

Annesa Loew on a job site in West Virginia. Loew’s work has allowed her to travel to many states and even work on pipeline projects. PC: Loew

“I started looking at what my friends were doing for education and what kind of jobs they were working,” Loew said. “I also talked with some family members and friends in construction trades unions. They talked about apprenticeships where you can earn money while learning a skill.”

Loew attended a 3-week technical training course for construction basics, where she practiced skills to become an oiler with Local 139.

“An oiler is someone who often goes through an apprenticeship or training with the intention of becoming an operator (operating engineer),” Loew said. “It’s like the first step in the process. Before you operate the machines you have to make sure the equipment is greased properly and inspect everything before it is used at the job site.”

So far, Loew has worked on several pipeline projects in Wisconsin and West Virginia.

“I know now I don’t want a job where I sit at a computer all day,” Loew said. “This work transfers over to all construction sites and projects and it’s a great entry into the trades.”

Compared to college, Loew does not regret her choice to work in the construction industry.

“I pay about $25 a month toward my union membership and benefits,” Loew said. “College was the worst choice I have made and I’m still shocked to think that I could be paying thousands of dollars a month if I stuck with it.”

Annesa Loew’s Biggest Supporter and Role Model: Her Mom

“My mom, Rosey Grab, works for Local 49 as an operating engineer,” Loew said. “She transitioned into the construction field after I graduated high school. I remember her working a lot of jobs and doing everything she could to support us. When she joined a union, she had education opportunities, training, retirement and benefits.”

Loew said she wants to provide those same benefits to her family.

“My mom is dedicated to her career, she’s got a great work ethic and a positive attitude,” Loew said. “I know I have that drive in me, too. I keep that focus for my family — my fiancé and my 9-month-old son.”

Loew plans to continue working for IUOE Local 139 and plans to take additional training and skills opportunities in the construction field.

“My union is so supportive of me and my family,” Loew said. “My advice: if college isn’t your passion or you know it’s too expensive – go to the trades. A college degree does not determine your worth or your life – through a construction union you are employable, you will earn a high wage and benefits in a career.”

To read more Success Stories like Annesa Loew’s visit the Success Stories page on ConstructionCareers.org.

Brooklyn Park, Minnesota — Some 16-year-olds daydream about what their futures look like; Joseph K. Tisdale tacks down those thoughts and tests them out.

Tisdale wears his Minnesota Trades Academy internship gear. MTA helps students like Tisdale explore careers in construction and pays them to learn trades skills. PC: Emily Sweeney

Entering his senior year at Brooklyn Center High School, Tisdale is spending his summer playing video games, watching anime and WWE wrestling and exploring careers in construction through his internship with the Minnesota Trades Academy (MTA), an 8-week summer internship program where students are paid to learn skills that are used by real-life workers in Minnesota’s construction industry.

“My favorite video games are role playing games like UFC Mortal Combat and Life of Strange, but I also do a lot of writing and have considered creating comic books so sometimes I read the dictionary just to learn something new,” Tisdale said. “As I go into my senior year, I’m exploring all my options after I graduate from high school, whether that’s through athletics, college, technical school or the trades.”

Learning New Construction Skills Fuels Tisdale’s Creative Mind

As his junior year came to a close, Tisdale reached out to Jackie Hayden, college and career coordinator at Brooklyn Center High School about summer job and internship opportunities.

“She told me I had perfect timing and she sent me an information sheet about the Minnesota Trades Academy,” Tisdale said. “I thought a summer internship where I got paid to learn something new sounded cool; I had never done anything like this before.”

The Minnesota Trades Academy serves students ages 16 to 20 years old, who primarily live in the Twin Cities metro area – exposing them to apprenticeship opportunities in Minnesota’s construction industry. The program is offered by the Construction Careers Foundation, a Minneapolis-St. Paul nonprofit effort supported by trade unions, construction companies, a growing list of Minnesota school districts, and the State of Minnesota (DEED). The mission of the Construction Careers Foundation is to create pathways for Minnesota’s young people to learn about, and connect with, registered apprenticeship opportunities offered by Minnesota’s construction trade unions.

Tisdale took the information home to his mom who at first was skeptical about what the program entailed.

“It’s 20-30 hours a week and she was concerned about the safety of it all – like is it full-blown construction labor work all summer,” Tisdale said. “But she supported me and ironically the first week of our training we earned OSHA 10 safety certifications, so that’s when she trusted that this opportunity was well-rounded and prepared me with the knowledge and skills, I need to be safe on the jobsite.”

Tisdale added that all his mom wants for him at the end of the day is to have a great future. She always tells him the sky’s the limit.

“The intent of the Minnesota Trades Academy is to expose young people, like Joseph, to the real world of Minnesota’s construction industry,” said Mary Stuart, associate director of the Construction Careers Foundation. “And in the real world, that starts with safety.”

“We hope that by giving students hands-on experience, they will be inspired to explore a career within Minnesota’s construction trades when they’re eligible to apply,” Stuart added.

With more Research, Careers in Construction Click

Since starting the MTA internship, Tisdale’s favorite project was building birdhouses.

“It’s very underrated the amount of precise measuring and craftsmanship that goes into building a birdhouse,” Tisdale said. “I know I can use the skills I am learning around the house too, especially when it comes to planning, measuring and reading blueprints to put things together.”

Reflecting on his talents and interests, Tisdale recognized that hands-on work may be his preferred learning style.

“I’ve always been handy around the house, helping hang curtains and fix the washing machine,” Tisdale said. “I’m pretty good at seeing something and breaking down how it works. I also consider myself tech-savvy. At church, I help with cameras and audio production.”

Tisdale’s creativity and problem-solving nature led him to design and assemble his own bed frame from plywood. He’s also built his own computer.

“I have built things just because I can dream them up, then I just see if I can really do it,” Tisdale said. “I built my bed frame and it’s because I thought, ‘Why spend the money on it, let me recycle this wood and do it myself.’”

Prior to joining MTA, Tisdale did not consider a career in construction.

“Now it’s really something to think about,” Tisdale said. “I have more to learn about the unions but so far demolition work sounds the coolest to me.”

For more information on the Minnesota Trades Academy visit the Program page on ConstructionCareers.org. To read more Rock-Solid Success Stories about other young people who are exploring careers in construction, click here.

A growing number of Minnesota teachers and guidance counselors are recognizing a frustration among their high school students – young people who know that college or the military isn’t right for them but are not sure what else they could do for a career.

Seeing an opportunity to help these students, Julie Gloege took on the role of transition coordinator at Brooklyn Center High School after seeing an intersectional opportunity among the high school’s students – an interest in Minnesota’s construction trades and a declining interest in pursuing a four-year college degree. Gloege is finishing her second year of teaching at Brooklyn Center High School in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area and has more than 15 years of prior teaching experience in special education.

“It became obvious to me that there were students who did not have the resources or interest in going to college,” Gloege said. “Meanwhile, there’s a huge gap in Minnesota’s construction trades. The industry is very eager to attract a new generation of full-time professionals to establish long-term careers in the trades.”

The gateway to a career in the construction trades is apprenticeship, noted Gloege, where young people are paid for their work while they learn the trades. In addition, they receive a number of other benefits, including a pension and healthcare insurance.

In 2018, Gloege joined Step-Up, a Minneapolis-based program that connects Twin Cities employers with students through career internships and training, which in turn, builds careers and leads to a diverse, skilled and equitable workforce.

From Left to Right: Jeff Gloege(Julie’s husband), family friend Nick Goneau, and Devon Gloege(Julie’s son). PC: Gloege

Building Better Futures

After Gloege saw her Brooklyn Center students get excited about hands-on building and construction trades training and real-world career exploration opportunities, she sought out more programs for students interested in learning about apprenticeship.

“I love my job because I help high school students align their skills and interests with career pathways they can follow after high school,” Gloege said. “We discuss vocational skills, take strength and skills aptitude tests, and evaluate students’ work preferences and career cluster results so that they can evaluate where their interests intersect with what they shine at.”

Gloege added that her students finish the semester by researching and presenting to their parents, faculty and peers on the top two careers that most align with their skills and interests.

“Students feel empowered by creating their own career paths and describing their futures,” Gloege said. “We even talk about where they will live after high school and create budgets to keep a reality check about how much they might make and what they can afford.”

Gloege doesn’t want her youth to have sticker shock or be overwhelmed when they are made aware of costs they didn’t foresee in life.

“It’s so common to see students being pushed by parents and staff to pursue college,” Gloege said. “Talking about debt is a conversation that needs to be had with students because it can follow you for your whole life and slow your progress toward some goals and aspirations.”

One-way Gloege is continuing to provide students glimpses of real workforce opportunities is through her professional speaker series.

“I want to show students that being smart comes in many forms and that success does not only look like becoming a doctor or a lawyer,” Gloege said. “I bring in established professionals in healthcare, construction trades, and the business world to answer questions from my students and share their journey about how they got where they are in their career.”

One such professional is her brother, Jesse, who works in Minnesota’s construction industry as a carpenter.

“My students love Jesse’s presentation,” Gloege said. “He comes fully equipped with his tools and gives many students their first experience with construction tools by showing them that being skilled at hands-on work can set them up for success.”

Youth Construction Experiences Springboard Students into Careers

“Within the Brooklyn Center school system, we do not currently offer construction courses,” Gloege said. “However, we do offer enrichment activities and connect students with construction trades summer paid internship programs to provide real work experiences.”

Gloege has taken her outreach a step further by connecting BrookLynk, a youth employment program dedicated to addressing regional talent and workforce needs with the Minnesota Trades Academy (MTA), a program that provides paid summer construction internship experience for selected Twin Cities area high school youth. A partnership pilot program begins this summer specifically designed for Twin Cities youth considering a career in construction.

“The Minnesota Trades Academy fosters an educational environment for our students to receive useful training, get paid to learn and eventually helps them make a more educated decision about what career path after high school is right for them,” Gloege said.

“We have forged and excellent relationship with BrookLynk and look forward to the results of the pilot program,” said Sarah Lechowich, Senior Director of the Construction Careers Foundation. “Many Brooklyn Center educators are seeing a renewed interest in the trades from their students and we can’t wait to provide skills training and connect them with a network of more than 30 different apprenticeships in Minnesota’s construction trades.”

Gloege is hopeful that with more construction trades offerings in Brooklyn Center’s school systems, students will find a career that is perfect for them and the skills gap currently presiding over Minnesota’s construction industry will close because of the renewed interest of ambitious young people.

“Yes, the construction trades are hard work, but so is every job,” Gloege said. “Construction professionals take pride in working with their hands and they receive some of the best benefit packages of any career field. I see so many students who would excel in this profession and I am glad I get to help them find a career that makes them excited to go to work.”

Highland Park High School Boys’ Head Basketball coach and self-proclaimed “basketball junkie,” Jesse McCann has been a student of the game since his early elementary years; he has enjoyed the game in all facets as a fan, player, and coach. He admired the play of point guards John Stockton, Steve Nash, and Jason Kidd growing up. McCann, who was also a pass-first point guard throughout his competitive playing years in Junior College, has enjoyed the evolution of basketball and the point guard position. He now considers himself a big fan of world-class athlete LeBron James because “LBJ is more than an incredible athlete; his basketball IQ, work ethic, and leadership are on a whole other level.”

“What I admire in a basketball player isn’t just natural athletic ability,” McCann said. “That’s a plus of course, but I look for players who have great command of the game, court awareness, show dedication to the team and remain motivated to practice skills until they become second nature.”

McCann applies these same principles off the court as Career Path Coordinator at St. Paul’s Highland Park Senior High School, where he supplies students with career exploration experiences and helps them plan out how to attain those careers.

“The best part of my job is connecting students with work-based learning opportunities where they can acquire job skills and explore their interests,” McCann said. “When students engage in Work-Based Learning and explore real jobs in the workforce you can see their perspectives and interests change. They become confident in their own skills and empowered to make goals to achieve their career ambitions.”

Planning for the Future Requires Real Conversations – and they can be tough.

“College is a serious commitment and investment,” McCann said. “I challenge students to have real conversations about their futures. If you do not have a clear path on what career college will help you achieve, or you go because your friends are – statistics show there’s a good chance you won’t end up finishing and that debt is not just wiped away.”

Saint Paul Public Schools Career Pathways highlight high wage and in-demand careers Education & Community Justice, Innovative & Emerging Technologies, Business & Communications, and Medical & Science fields. There is also a push to encourage students to consider careers in the construction trades.

“The focus has become more around career planning and less about admission into a college,” McCann said. “This does not mean college won’t be a part of their plan; for many, college will play a part of their journey, however it is more about backward planning to know what type of college or post-secondary training your career calls for.”

“It can be tough to have these real conversations,” McCann said. “We dig in and it can be uncomfortable, but my hope is for all my students to go into careers that make them happy and speak to their talents and interests.”

A Paid Summer Internship for Students Considering the Trades

One career field to which McCann is seeking to draw more attention at Highland Park High School is Minnesota’s construction trades. He collaborates with his friend and Trades Navigator, Sam Ebute to encourage students to apply for the Minnesota Trades Academy (MTA). “Sam attracts many student interns with his sense of calm and encouraging demeanor,” McCann said.

The Minnesota Trades Academy is one of the programs offered through Construction Career Pathways (constructioncareers.org), a statewide nonprofit effort supported by trade unions, construction companies, a growing list of Minnesota school districts, and the State of Minnesota (DEED) that have all come together with the mission of introducing Minnesota’s young people to skilled careers in Minnesota’s construction industry.

The Minnesota Trades Academy (MTA) program serves students, ages 16 to 20 years old, who primarily live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Students work 20 to 30 hours per week and are paid as they work on real-life projects.McCann said the Minnesota Trades Academy program gives his students the resources and the networking opportunities to build their professional brand and engage in serious conversations about their future education and their career plans with building and construction trades professionals.

“Being a part of the union construction trades is not just about swinging a hammer,” McCann said. “The trades are not given the attention they deserve within our educational system. There are so many layers to the careers within the construction industry. Many careers include viable, high-paying jobs for people who have the knack to work with their hands, enjoy being outside or just like to create.”

McCann has many sophomores and juniors interested in the program and plans to work with local educators and trades professionals to provide construction experiences earlier in students’ education, so by the time students are seniors they consider joining the trades as a natural transition after high school into a full time career. Students are currently in the process of interviewing and going through the selection process with MTA staff to see if it will be a good fit.

“The Minnesota Trades Academy program changes kids’ lives,” McCann said. “I will continue to be a referral source for MTA. Students participate in leadership activities, build their resumes, get interviewing skills and receive real training from Union construction training centers and tours of worksites from house building to oil refineries.”

For more information on Careers in Construction visit ConstructionCareers.org.

White Bear Lake, Minnesota — In his free time, White Bear Lake High School graduate Nick Berends plays a variety of video games. However, he never thought the gaming skills he develops every day would be relevant to his future career path in construction.

“The first game I really enjoyed growing up was the first Mario Kart,” Berends said. “Now I like shooter games like Battlefield, but I also play games that involve exploring a new world, like Slime Rancher.”

When he’s not building or playing video games, Nick Berends is probably traveling. He enjoys taking trips with his family to Washington state and someday hopes to travel to Europe. PC: Leanne Berends

This summer, Berends still spends his free time playing video games but he also spends 20+ hours a week exploring careers in construction with the Minnesota Trades Academy (MTA). The paid skills internship is one of many programs organized by the Construction Careers Foundation, a Twin Cities-based nonprofit supported by trade unions, construction companies, a growing list of Minnesota school districts, and the State of Minnesota (DEED).

“Berends and 10 other students are participating in MTA’s Track 2 pathway hosted by White Bear Lake Area High School,” said Mary Stuart, associate director of the Construction Careers Foundation. “This opportunity prepares interns to select a construction career path – union apprenticeship training; construction-related post-secondary tracts; or direct entry into the construction workplace, if desired.”

Over a nine-week period, the interns visit up to 16 different apprenticeship training centers where they receive training and supervision from industry experts as they complete projects using both hand and power tools.

“Being able to visit the different trades to learn about what they do is super important,” Berends said. “Participating in hands-on activities like laying bricks or cutting metal or operating machines helped me figure out what I like to do and what things I am good at.”

Throughout the union tours, Berends discovered that his dexterity skills and ability to operate controllers while looking at a field of objects were skills used every day by operating engineers who belong to the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 49.

“I am most interested in a career with Operating Engineers Local 49,” Berends said. “We got the chance to operate the heavy machinery on site and it reminded me of the video games I play — just a lot cooler because I was interacting in a real environment.”

New Perspective on Secondary Education

Visiting different unions provided Berends with the perspective that a career in construction through union apprenticeship is just as valuable as a college education or joining the military.

“I’m a triplet and while you can tell Kyle and Jack (Berends’ brothers) and I are related, we all have different interests and skills,” Berends said. “They are interested in more mechanical work than I am. But I am interested in learning to weld and gaining skills that I can use around the house.”

Berends said his parents are supportive of his choice to pursue the construction trades and apprenticeship pathway.

“They want me to be happy and be able to take care of myself,” Berends said. “People always come to me for help with labor or fixing things, so they are not surprised that this work is interesting to me.”

Berends said he is ready to start a career in construction. His first step is getting a license this fall so he can drive himself to worksites and to the union training center to apply for an apprenticeship.

Want to Learn More?

For more information about the Minnesota Trades Academy visit the Program page on ConstructionCareers.org. To read more Rock-Solid Success Stories, click here.