F&S, and the crafts and trades nation-wide, are always looking for the next generation of skilled, passionate professionals who maintain critical utilities systems. Buildings have required heating and electricity for decades, and will continue to for the foreseeable future – it might be the folks from a recent tour to do just that.
Parkland College, located in Champaign, is just the place for many students to learn about the material world around them, particularly those in the Highway Construction Careers Training Program (HCCTP).
From the HCCTP website: The Highway Construction Careers Training Program is a pre-apprenticeship designed to increase the participation of underrepresented groups on Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) construction projects.
Training consists of an intensive 12 to 18-week program to learn the skills necessary for acceptance into the highway construction trades and the opportunity for a career with high wage-earning potential.
- Math for the Trades
- Introduction to Electrical/Plumbing/Sheet Metal
- Job readiness
- Life Skills
- Scaffolding Erection
- First Aid/CPR/AED
- Introduction to Welding
- Technical Skills Coursework
- Skid Steer
- OSHA 30 Certification
- Backhoe/End Loader
- Crane Safety
- Aerial Lift and Scissor Lift
- Crane Signaling
- Fork Lift and Extended Reach Fork Lift
While they toured Abbott Power Plant, Physical Plant Service Building, and just a small segment of the underground steam tunnels, asking questions about how to get into the trades (visit each shop’s “Local” and train for the tests!), what life is like in the trades, and stories from the personal recollections of F&S supervisors, forepersons, and staff.
