Perma-Structo of Sturtevant, Wisconsin, a Certified Contractor member of the Concrete Foundations Association, has a long history of participation in efforts aimed at awareness and trades education for youth to bring about a stronger future for the construction industry. The most recent event, Build My Future, continued to demonstrate the value for all involved.

Build My Future events are being held nationwide by various local builders associations. The Racine Kenosha Builders Association (RKBA) and the Lakeland Builders Association (LBA), the two local builders associations in our area, saw a need for an event like this in their area.  They developed an education committee that worked extremely hard to bring the first Build My Future event in Southeastern Wisconsin to life. Due to the small sizes of the RKBA and LBA, both executive officers agreed that partnering would be beneficial for this event, creating a larger and more impactful outcome.

In planning a Build My Future event for Wisconsin youth, committee members researched and learned from many other comparable events happening nationwide. A similar event hosted by FORGE (https://forgeyourpath.org) was highlighted during an excellent presentation given at World of Concrete 2023. During this presentation, FORGE Foundation leaders discussed the successes, failures, and opportunities they had in developing a two-day event that brought local students throughout the area together to gain hands-on experience in different trades—much like the event we were planning.  Committee members for the Racine event were present and brought many ideas back for development.

Perma-Structo Inc. was one of the active participants in this event, serving as a committee member, contributing as a main event sponsor, and participating as an exhibitor. Now a third-generation concrete contracting company, Perma-Structo is a founding member of the Concrete Foundations Association and a CFA-Certified foundation company. As a company who has worked with many local high school students over the years to educate and bring hands-on concrete experiences to the classroom and on jobsites, this event was truly a dream come true! They jumped on board at the earliest opportunity to help, knowing they would be able to reach so many more students and future trades personnel in a short period of time.

The Build My Future SE Wisconson event was a two-day event. The first day was dedicated to middle school students and the following day was for high school students. Schools and homeschooling families in the surrounding area were invited to attend. The primary goal was to build the youth’s knowledge of the trades while exposing them to different career paths throughout the construction industry with hands-on experiences.

“Labor shortages in the trades are no secret,” said Cassie Beaudin with Perma-Structo. “Events like this are a great way to go straight to the future labor force and show them there are options for their future other than what schools have traditionally encouraged.” Data has shown that nearly 40% of the construction industry could or will retire by 2031. Cole Beaudin added, “Schools across the nation have neglected the importance of alternative career paths that can be taken, like the skilled trades. Because of this, the construction industry has felt the negative impacts over the years. Organizations and events, like Build My Future, are actively working on changing this narrative and bringing the awareness needed to have a successful future workforce within our industry.”

To which trades or stations were the students exposed?

Even though it was the first year for this event, the committee tried to get a wide variety of trades to participate. The event had representation from the following trades: concrete, utilities, plumbing, roofing, HVAC, and carpentry. Students were able to experience a wide variety of activities: using power tools, installing roof shingles, welding, laying brick, operating equipment such as mini excavators, soldering, figuring takeoffs for blueprints, and using a virtual reality experience system to “drive” oversized vehicles.

“With the number of students that we were anticipating, we knew our company had to incorporate many different facets of the concrete industry for everyone to experience a taste of it,” said Cole Beaudin with Perma-Structo. “So, we had experienced field employees on site daily to help assist with activities and teaching.” The Perma-Structo employees who helped in this event were just as excited as students were, ready to show off their skills and the work they do daily. “We could tell they took pride in their work and educating the students,” Cole said.

The Build My Future format normally has students spending 10 to 15 minutes at an activity. This requires each activity to be manageable and not overly complex. “We chose three activities that we found would be the quickest and easiest to understand and participate in,” Cole said. “The first was using our electronic Leica layout system and having the students lay out a mock footing. The second was assembling and disassembling our 4-foot-tall aluminum Western Forms. The third was allowing the students to use the remote control to operate our Putzmeister TB 110 conveyor and maneuver it through a maze.” The Perma-Structo team’s vision was to show students various components of what it is like working for a concrete foundation contractor. Of these three activities, assembling and disassembling the aluminum forms brought the most excitement and curiosity from both middle schoolers and high schoolers. “This feedback makes us hopeful that we have the potential for future ‘wall dogs,’” Cole added.

What were the results?

Over the course of the event, exhibitors were able to interact with approximately 2,000 students. The feedback from attendees was very positive, with most people expressing how pleased they were with the level of hands-on opportunities available to the students. Many schools have already asked about next year’s event and have expressed their interest in signing up for future events.

“Besides the measurable impact, it was awesome to see just how excited the students were and how interested they were in the activities,” said Cassie. “I watched Cole ask a group of about 10 girls if they wanted to set up some forms, and I think they were the most enthusiastic group I saw throughout the entire event. They dove right in and were eager to work as a team to complete the task. As a woman in construction, it’s so encouraging to me to see young women get excited about the trades. There are so many opportunities for women, and this early exposure really highlights the trades as a viable career opportunity.”

Perma-Structo leadership was extremely humbled with the support the event had from many local companies. There was participation in various ways, including the many hours of planning the committee put in, volunteering and hosting activities the days of the event, and the overwhelming financial support, which was needed to put on an event like this. Even local concrete and national product vendors who were supportive of their efforts—such as Ozinga Ready Mix, Yard One, and Western Forms—participated and/or gave financial support by sponsoring the event. “Everyone responded to the invitation quickly when we called and spoke to them about the event,” Cole said. “To see it all come together as the students exited the buses and the excitement they had, it was impressive to see young kids jump into the activities.”

When asked how the overall assessment of this initial Build My Future in SE Wisconsin went, Cole Beaudin spoke up quickly for the group and the committee. “I would say it was a huge success, considering the tremendous participation and positive feedback from both companies and students during its very first year. If this opens the idea or possibility of a career in the trades that the students never even considered, that is a win. From my experience with high school projects that Lindsy Beaudin and I have worked on in the past together, I typically gain 1-2 employees after graduation from those classes and teaching opportunities. Those individuals are usually some of the best new hires, because they have basic knowledge and expectations when they walk through the door. I hope this holds true for all companies in the trades that are helping expose the youth to their trade. The money and time we spent on this event was 100% more impactful than any job posting I could ever pay for. Everyone involved did an excellent job, and I couldn’t be prouder of their dedication and hard work with this event.”

For more information on the event, visit the website:

https://www.buildmyfuturesewi.com/

Paying For My Future: RKBA Adds Scholarships Resurrecting and reforming a forgotten benefit.

In the late 2000s, the Racine Kenosha Builders Association discontinued its longstanding scholarship program due to the impact of the Great Recession. The tradition faded from view until recently, when the team at Perma-Structo, led by third-generation leader Cole Beaudin and spearheaded by his spouse Lindsy Beaudin, revisited the idea during their involvement in Build My Future SE Wisconsin. Cole, a past recipient of an RKBA scholarship, understood the invaluable support it provided on his journey to an accounting degree.

Lindsy, taking the chair position of the newly formed RKBA Scholarship

Committee, navigated challenges posed by budget constraints. The RKBA mandated that any scholarship revival must be self-funded by committee activities. Lindsy expressed pride in the collaborative efforts between Perma-Structo and the association for the Build My Future event, which surpassed expectations. Simultaneously,

she diligently worked in the background to resurrect the scholarship program.

The reintroduced program, distinct from typical scholarship initiatives, offers both traditional higher education scholarships and unique “direct to workforce” scholarships. Applicants in the latter category need to secure an intent-to-hire letter from an employer, while those pursuing traditional education paths must provide an acceptance letter to their chosen program. The committee emphasized the significance of this inclusive approach, which provides options for young adults entering the trades, whether they opt for further education or an immediate entry into the workforce.

The committee-funded scholarship achieved immediate success in its inaugural year, awarding five scholarships totaling $6,000. Buoyed by this positive response, the committee is expanding application windows to at least spring and fall, possibly considering a year-round schedule with quarterly award meetings to better serve workforce-minded applicants.

Perma-Structo envisions a promising future for the workforce, attributing it to the exposure generated by Build My Future SE WI and the diverse scholarship opportunities offered by the association. For those choosing the direct to workforce path, the scholarship addresses practical needs such as tool purchases, uniforms, work boots, and sometimes personal protection equipment. Lindsy concluded by emphasizing the scarcity of scholarships for young adults entering the workforce directly, highlighting the potential positive impact of these initiatives.

To view the scholarship, visit the website:

https://rkbabuilders.com/scholarships/.