This summer, Harrison’s is proud to be a part of an effort to put boots on the ground.
Literally.
As part of a Construction Field Study initiative through OneSpartanburg, Spartanburg County, Spartanburg Community College, and the Build For A Better Future Foundation, students representing all seven school districts in Spartanburg County were selected to take part in a two-week program that offered them a chance to experience various workplaces and job sites in the construction field.
Students visited Vulcan Materials, Dobbs Equipment, Kapasi Glass, the Rogers Group, RCS Grading, Liles Construction, Harper General Contractors, and Roebuck Landscaping. They learned about every phase of a construction project along the way, with hands-on experience and classroom activities. They were also encouraged to reach out to participating businesses about future employment.
Harrison’s was happy to provide safety-toe footwear, a requirement for many of the job sites, to the participating students.
Program facilitator Cameron O’Sullivan explained that the students selected for the program had already shown an interest in the trades, and had been identified by their school’s career development facilitators as candidates for the program.
“They were identified by the CDF at their high schools as students who would be interested in the program and who would do well and qualify and get a lot out of the program,” he said.
Kevin Harrison said providing safety footwear for the students was a way to help give back locally.
"We love partnering with the communities we are planted in," he said. "Seeing the hard work that these young folks have put in preparing for their jobs in the trades is inspiring and Harrison's wanted to blow a little wind in their sails as they launch into their careers."
The program itself is a pilot initiative that is expected to help address a need in the area’s workforce."
“It’s something that OneSpartanburg, Taylor Dement, and Dr. Garner thought up and wanted to try,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s a great way to expand student engagement and student intern opportunities in Spartanburg. We have so many great construction companies in general, and the industry is just blowing up right now. They’re in need of a new and younger work force. This is something they wanted to build and try. We’re kind of building the plane as we go, and they asked if I’d help spearhead this and be the bridge between the kids and the businesses.”
Twelve students participated in two groups of six, spending days at the different local construction-affiliated companies.
“It’s a good snapshot of the whole process,” O’Sullivan said. “Half of them have graduated, and half are rising seniors. This is like a two-week working job interview for them. Some of these companies are looking to hire, and these kids get to be in front of them. The end goal is for them to have the opportunity to get a job, or to be connected with a company and develop that relationship.”
Some of the students already have concrete plans. Boiling Springs’ Kimara Johnson is planning a future as a welder.
“Next month I’m moving to North Carolina to go to Mooresville UTI to study welding,” she said. “I started practicing a month or two ago and got more into it, and my guidance counselor told me about the program. I think it’s going to be a really good thing.”
Recent Chapman graduate JT Rollins was looking forward to exploring everything the program had to offer.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for all of us to go to all these different places and get to kind of test out and see what we might want to do,” he said. “I think it will help us decide what we want to do and where we want to do it. We’ll get to see it, get to be hands-on, get a bunch of different opportunities. Those of us who have finished high school could actually start working right after this program, and if we like what we’re doing it’s something we could stick with forever, maybe.”
O’Sullivan said that’s part of the end goal.
“This program is a resume builder, but it’s also a life experience builder,” he said. “I really think it can be a great template and a framework for things we can do in the future in every area of our job market.”