Construction Program Helps Expand Postsecondary Options
By DEBRA HAIGHT
BERRIEN SPRINGS - It's not exactly a matter of build it and they will come.
Dave Runyan has been helping high school students learn construction trades and build structures the past few years in Berrien Springs, but not that many students are signing up, though it can be a gateway to a good-paying job.
Runyan teaches the construction trades class offered by Berrien Springs High School to students from across Berrien County, sharing a love of building going back to when he first picked up a hammer at age 5.
The class meets every school morning in a building at the back edge of the Berrien RESA property. At present there eight students enrolled. They are from Berrien Springs, Buchanan, Coloma and Lakeshore.
The program is one of three construction trades programs in the county. The Benton Harbor and New Buffalo school districts also offer high school programs.
Runyan sees the construction trades program as an untapped resource for students seeking a trade, and who may not necessarily have the money or inclination to attend college for four years. His goal is to attract more students and teach two classes (which are two hours long) each day, rather than just the one.
"Construction is where the jobs are, where the careers are and where the summer employment is," he said. "Students can get $10 to $12 an hour for summer jobs just as gofers."
"In Michigan, it's the career field where there are the most jobs," he said. "Right now, there are 8,000 to 10,000 vacant jobs in Michigan in the construction trades fields. These are better paying jobs than people can get after college. People can make $18 an hour at age 18 or 19 laying blocks. They can make some good money.
"Students are being hired in the middle of their apprenticeship programs. Everybody has the idea that a college degree is something they have to have to get a better job, but you can get better jobs with two years or less of college ... If you're willing to come to work, stay busy and are able to problem solve, you can be trained."
Runyan noted that students completing the year-long program at Berrien Springs can get credits toward a two-year degree at Lake Michigan College and use the skills they've learned to take state builders license test once they turn 18.
Students must complete the required coursework and be in good academic standing to qualify for the class, he said.
Students attend the program for two hours each morning during the school year and learn a variety of skills, including how do to electrical, plumbing, drywall, floor framing, roof framing, roofing methods and masonry work, plus how to use heavy equipment and incorporate green technology into construction.
"We go pretty in depth with both classroom work and hands-on experience," he said.
Students in Runyan's class are busy constructing a storage building for an employee at Blossomland who bought the materials for them. He said the class stopped building houses after the real estate crash in the late 2000s made it hard to sell them.
They've also built a storage building for the Berrien Springs baseball team and concession stands for the Lake Michigan College baseball, softball and soccer fields.
Runyan's students don't all have the same career goals, but they do share a love of building and would recommend the class to other high school students in the area. They say the class has taught them not only how to build, but also how to have a good work ethic.
Buchanan High School senior Elijah Gray said he looks forward to attending Southwestern Michigan College, and then Ferris State, to study engineering and construction design. "I like building, this is fun," he said. "This has definitely been worthwhile. This is the best class I've ever taken. The hard part is learning to stay focused. It's like a real world working environment. You really learn a work ethic."
Fellow Buchanan senior Austin Hartz said he's glad he took the class, adding that he has learned not only building skills, but life skills. He took the class to learn more about construction so he can do more in his family's landscaping business.
"A lot of customers ask us to build sheds and this is something I can add on to my grandfather's business," he said. "I plan to go to trade school to learn more about landscape design."
Lakeshore seniors Joe Miller and Geoff Sudhoff said they like to build and learn how to use the different tools and equipment. They've taken welding and woodshop classes previously and wanted to try this class this year.
Buchanan senior Dustin Gray and Coloma senior Kyle Prescott have similar feelings. Kyle has taken automotive classes the past three years in Coloma and wanted this class to learn something new. "This is a good learning experience," he said.
The Berrien Springs school district hosts five career tech programs, and all are open to all Berrien County students. In addition to construction trades, the district sponsors EMT, firefighting, criminal justice and business programs. Countywide, students can choose from more than 40 career and technical education programs at area high schools.
