Construction Education is thriving in Washington State High Schools

Construction Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are an important element of workforce development and the first touch point for introducing young people to careers in the construction industry. For an industry like construction that is always changing and adapting, creating and running successful programs that can respond to those changes keeps students interested and prepared to pursue their role in the construction workforce.

Last week the Construction Center of Excellence sat down with Sarah Patterson, Workforce Development Director at the AGC Education Foundation and a CCE Advisory Board member to discuss the construction CTE landscape, funding, and her insights from directing the Foundation’s state-wide CTE program, Core Plus Construction.

“CTE programs are just a really powerful way to reach young people at a time when their experience can have a massive positive impact on their lives. A great CTE program can provide valuable hands-on experience, career pathway planning, and connections to industry through classroom partnerships. We [Core Plus Construction], really strive to bring content [curriculum, lessons plans, and professional development] that showcases real-world, exciting skills to the classroom.”

Technology in construction CTE classrooms

CTE construction programs have opportunities to bring in new technology. “We see technology being embraced by our smallest, most rural schools. In Cusick, Washington, a small community an hour north of Spokane, students are being introduced and trained on foundational skills in sheet metal, HVAC, electrical systems and more.

Rural communities often find it challenging to bring in guest speakers, to budget for materials, and to find space for materials. VR is a skill that can be taught when space and building materials are low. “VR is an integral part of construction today, bringing this learning to the classroom is just as important as learning to use a skilsaw and the kids are responding to it.”

Core Plus Construction (CPC) is responding to examples like this by providing more lessons and professional development about technology, and identifying lessons that can be taught utilizing different resources.

Dynamic content & Incorporating new elements

Like adding a VR lesson, there are opportunities in thinking outside the box when it comes to materials, resources, and evolving traditional lesson to reflect modern jobsites. For example, Pierce County Skills Center is one of just a handful of construction programs in the state that introduces students to metal form framing. While not a new technology, metal form framing has yet to fully filter down to the K-12 level. "When students walk on to an industrial or commercial site, they are not going to see wood framing,” says Patterson. We don’t see it in schools, “because of the price point, paired with lack of training opportunities for educators.” Metal is significantly different from working with wood, and students would benefit from hands-on experience with metal to understand its use, its properties and how to work with it safely.

Patterson pinpoints work site learning opportunities as under-utilized. “So much of construction happens behind a 6ft tall security fence. Taking students for a jobsite tour where they get to see what’s happening, talk to professionals is what brings classroom content to life.”

For students and teachers alike, jobsite experiences help CTE keep pace with industry trends and in-demand skills sets. And importantly, help build and maintain industry relationships that will benefit CTE programs.

Creating community

“For most CTE teachers, they are the only one of their kind at a school. They don’t have another teacher in their location for support. Building a professional community for construction CTE teachers has become a hallmark of CPC.”

Creating community through events and competitions is gaining steam. The trends of Job-alikes and work-alikes have seen a recent revival, with instructors getting together, online and in-person, to build rapport and share ideas. In recent years schools, especially Skills Centers have embraced Skills USA’s TeamWorks competition, designed to evaluate team preparation for employment and to recognize outstanding students for excellence and professionalism in the field of residential carpentry, roofing, masonry, plumbing, electrical and teamwork skills.

“It’s extremely ambitious,” says Patterson, with the competition, “moving beyond just framing to setting windows and doors, electrical and more. It shows the evolution of programs away from shop class towards true construction trades training.”

The Role of Core Plus Construction

Five years ago, the AGC Education Foundation launched Core Plus Construction because there was a need to level-set and increase access to construction CTE educate students about the exciting and diverse careers in the industry.

Core Plus Construction is an official Washington State program of study that allows high school students to explore careers in the construction industry. Students use hands-on learning to gain real-world skills and earn graduation credits.

With Patterson at the helm, the program has grown dramatically since launching in 2020. As of this school year, CPC is offered in 12 of the 13 Skills Centers in the state and is in schools in 33 counties.

As the construction industry evolves, CPC evolves with it. This spring, the AGC Education Foundation concluded work on a grant from Career Connect Washington to update CPC content to enhance accessibility for all students, integrating Universal Design Learning practices into the curriculum to enhance accessibility for all students. New content also includes lessons developed with employers to drive the development of skills desired for entry-level roles. Participating employers included Abbott Construction, Absher, Exxel Pacific, Lakeside Industries, and Lease Crutcher Lewis. 

“Our role is the Foundation’s mission “To develop and promote construction careers through quality education and training” says Patterson.

For over 40 years the AGC Education Foundation has been serving the construction industry by providing training, upskilling, outreach, and scholarships to build a strong workforce. CPC was created in response to industry demand and in collaboration with industry and education partners.

The curriculum itself, at 1080 hours of free content, allows teachers the time to focus on teaching instead of running down instructional materials, or putting together worksheets. “Now we can say, ‘here’s all the content, choose what works for you.’ It’s more content than any one instructor could use in a year,” and via a set menu or buffet-style, content can be tailored to meet the needs of each program and educator.

“I am proud of the fact that our industry has been willing to make this investment knowing ROI won’t come for 5-10 years after launching.” But it is paying off. “We are seeing huge upticks in enrollments in Construction Management programs across the state.”

The Need for Sustained Funding

As a state approved program of study, OSPI has awarded grants directly to CORE PLUS Construction programs to support costs. At $25,000 per school per year this helped schools with consumables but didn’t fully fund programs. This year’s tight budget did not allow for any grants funds to schools. With those dollars no longer available, schools are still able to move forward with continued programming without the grants, but are looking for new funding streams while recognizing that sustained funding is essential for continued excellence.

Schools are learning now how programs fare after losing funding. Is there interest from a community of users? Data and insight from instructors says yes, with over 90 school districts and 12 Skills Centers offering Core Plus Construction, with some schools bringing in additional instructors to double class sizes, based on community interest. “Students are voting with their feet,” says Patterson.

Regardless of a tight state budget cycle, “Construction CTE in Washington State is on the right track thanks to investments from the industry and legislature” says Patterson.

Our sincere thanks to Sarah for sharing her insight. Learn more about the work of the AGC Education Foundation at https://www.constructionfoundation.org