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Most seventh and eighth graders spend their summer vacations hanging out with friends, sleeping in, or lounging by the pool. But with CAWP’s help, students from Westmoreland County can return to school in the fall and be able to tell their classmates that they operated a backhoe or excavator. Students participating in the Construction Camps at the Central and Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Centers had this unique opportunity.
In one of two week-long Construction Camps, these middle school students engaged in hands-on projects and instructional activities in the industry. The camp culminated in a field trip organized by CAWP. The trip consisted of a tour of a Golden Triangle Construction Company project on Route 22 and a trip to the Western Pennsylvania Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship site, both near New Alexandria.
Dave Sciullo, Project Manager with Golden Triangle Construction, began the trip by giving the students an overview of the company’s Route 22 project. After first stopping at a concrete batch plant where the concrete for the project was being manufactured, it was apparent these students were participating in the camps out of a genuine interest in the construction industry. The students enthusiastically began asking questions about how the process worked.
The next location was the actual job-site on Route 22, where workers were pouring concrete as the next step of their efforts to expand the now three lane highway into five lanes. As the students witnessed this concrete pour first hand, reactions could be heard ranging from “cool” to “amazing”. As the students boarded the bus, excitement began to build for the next stop on the trip.
On the way to the Operating Engineers Apprenticeship site, Jason Koss, CAWP Director of Industry Relations, asked the students questions about their interest in the industry. Joe Hendrickson, one of the students who participated in the camp at the Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center, expressed his excitement in construction. With his father currently working in the industry, he already is interested in big machines and moving dirt. He said that while most kids his age play video games, he tries to stay away from that. Instead, his hobbies include riding quads and driving machines, and he can’t wait to apply for the Operating Engineers Apprenticeship Program the day he turns eighteen.
Upon arriving at the Western Pennsylvania Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship site, students were greeted by Steve Columbus, the Administrative Manager, and Jack Gulisek, CAWP President, who explained the apprenticeship program and the skills needed to be a heavy equipment operator. The students were eager to go out and see different types of construction equipment firsthand. Led by instructors, the students had the opportunity to operate a Caterpillar 420E backhoe, a Caterpillar 2322 skid steer, a Komatsu WS180 rubber tired loader, and a Caterpillar 320B excavator. The instructors provided the students with positive feedback and helpful tips on how to improve their operation of the machinery. The students left the site with a renewed enthusiasm for the industry, and for many, a hope to be back in a few years to participate in the program themselves.
The Construction Camps were sponsored by CAWP, the Westmoreland-Fayette Building and Industry Partnership, the Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Investment Board, Triangle Tech, Western Pennsylvania Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship Training Program, Eastern and Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Centers, Golden Triangle Construction Company, and C.H.&D. Enterprises, Inc.
These construction camps represent CAWP’s ongoing efforts in workforce development.
 
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