Alloy Construction Team Members Volunteer at GMCA Trades Camp
Alloy Construction Service team members Ron Pool, Steve Haller, Ronnie Neumann and Charlee Simanskey volunteered at the Starting at Square One Trades Camp hosted by the Greater Michigan Construction Academy (GMCA). This camp gives students hands on experience learning about the different trades in the construction industry. The Alloy team featured Ironworking and all the careers offered in just this one skilled trade alone. Opportunities in construction are not only wide and varied but compensation earned is often commensurate with many associates and even bachelor’s degree program jobs. Most apprentices are trained in an ‘earn while you learn’ setting allowing young people to graduate debt free and with excellent job prospects. Alloy is happy to support the GMCA organization and will continue promoting the many opportunities in the trades to young people.
Reflecting on his experience volunteering at the trades camp, Steve Haller, who’s career in the trades began as an ironworker, is now a Site Safety Representative for Alloy and noted that these students, from middle school to early high school, are at a great age to be exposed to careers available in the trades. He stated that often students discover the trades too late in their education to consider high school curriculum choices that might advance them in a trades career. Programs such as the trades camp expose them early enough to consider those choices. Steve mentioned he recently saw a statistic saying that the United States is short one million employees in the trades, and he hopes that this deficit can be closed through early education and exploration programs. Alloy has been involved with GMCA since 1981 and will strive to contribute to future efforts to expand the trades.