You can’t build what you don’t see. That’s why Kent Companies hosted 90 students from the Kent Career Technical Center’s (KCTC) Construction Trades program on one of our largest job sites in Grand Rapids.
While most high school construction trades programs focus on residential construction, we know there’s a bigger story to tell. Job site tours shed light on the structures and the career paths available in commercial concrete. Over two days, 90 KCTC high school students, led by their teachers Jeremy Petersen and David Belden, stepped onto a jobsite unlike anything they’d seen before. This was their chance to witness the sheer scale and complexity of commercial concrete work—and it didn’t disappoint.
From safety briefings to discussions of structural techniques, our team shared insight into delivering high-quality results on a project of this size. “It’s one thing to talk about the complexity of building a consolidated rent-a-car facility, but it’s another to stand on the jobsite and witness the scale and teamwork that goes into it,” shares Steve McCoy, Division Manager at Kent Concrete.
McCoy and his project team were on hand to guide the students and answer their questions. Turner Construction’s Dave Snyder also joined to share insights from the general contractor’s perspective.
Opening a job site to students comes with challenges. High-risk activities and a fast-paced work environment require careful planning and complete buy-in from everyone involved. But that’s exactly why it’s so important. “For us, it’s less about showcasing what we do and more about showing these students what they can do,” Talent Manager Chris Lapekas states. “Getting to see the work up close transforms their understanding of what’s possible.”
We believe contractors need to get in front of students before they graduate because tangible job site experiences inspire big building dreams. Kent Companies is proud to make these investments because we know they lay the foundation for a stronger, more dynamic workforce.
We challenge contractors across the country to give students the opportunity to see themselves in the future of this industry. “Experiences like these give students a real glimpse of the opportunities in commercial construction, and it’s a critical part of addressing the workforce shortage,” Lapekas continues. “We can’t expect to solve this issue without showing students exactly what they can achieve in this line of work.”
The next generation is waiting—let’s lead the way.
