Page 82 - Southern Oregon Magazine Summer 2021

feature | education

the employment realm. Public education (K-12), community colleges,
and apprenticeship programs have traditionally been autonomous. Now,
industry professionals have joined with educational institutions (local
school districts and Rogue Community College (RCC)) and apprentice-
ship programs to help young people learn a trade while still in school.

Apprenticeship programs in the trade fields are not as widespread as
one might suppose. Some programs work well in metropolitan areas,
but aren’t feasible or available in rural Oregon. The trades also want to
employ more women and people of color.

One of the biggest issues, however, is the need for technical career edu-
cation in concrete, masonry, carpentry, steel fabrication and installation,
and the finish trades of drywall, acoustical ceilings, painting, and floor
coverings, also expansion of the licensed trades of plumbing, HVAC,
and electrical. “We need to expose kids in elementary school to the
fun of building things,” says Russ Batzer, co-owner of J. B. Steel and
immediate past president of Associated General Contractors Columbia
Chapter, which entails Oregon and Southwest Washington. This would
continue in high school through pre-apprenticeship programs, enabling
young people (men and women) to try a hand at a trade and see it it’s a
good fit. Trades need to be presented to kids not as a last resort, but as
a viable option. Many students are kinesthetic learners (think kids who
have trouble sitting still and need to touch and explore to learn), while
others can’t afford college or don’t want to go. Upon completion of
their apprenticeship, journeymen in skilled trades often earn more than
some college graduates. Further, they haven’t amassed student loans,
but have been paid as they learn. Batzer feels progress is being made.
An example is RCC’s new apprenticeship program for Installing Pre-
Engineered Metal buildings through JB Steel and Ausland Construction.

Steps are being taken regarding pre-apprenticeship programs as well.
Hal Jones, Career and College Readiness Coordinator, Medford School
District, also talks about those in the trades aging out and not enough
talent to fill the pipeline. This sometimes forces the construction
industry to hire out-of-area workers, increasing the cost of a project.
Both the problem and the solutions are multilayered and interwoven.
Considering education, industry, and community benefit and need, it’s
in the interest of the educational system to prepare students for jobs
that are in demand, highly skilled, with high wages and advancement
opportunities. When these entities overlap in the solution, “You’ve
struck gold,” says Jones.

Career & Technical Education (CTE) departments (formerly called voca-
tional education) create federally funded Programs of Study, approved
across the country to seek out needed, high wage jobs. Oregon has des-
ignated part of its funds to identify the importance of work-based study
for high school students.

The Medford district has developed a program, Medford Pre-
Apprenticeship for Construction Trades (MPACT), the acronyms’ play
on words appropriate considering its positive impact on filling that
pipeline from high school to the trades. The application process through
Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) was an arduous jour-
ney, but worth the effort and has set groundwork. MPACT is the only
registered BOLI pre-apprenticeship program in a public high school
south of Eugene. The program benefits young people, the district, and

80 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | summer 2021