All professions connected to the industry must take steps to introduce young people to construction. Traditional career fairs, free giveaways, and posters in school hallways have not been enough to draw students’ awareness of and interest in construction careers.
To meet the growing need in Washington state, one of those steps is Core Plus Construction — a strategic approach that incorporates construction pathways for students while earning high school credit equivalencies.
What Is Core Plus Construction?
Core Plus Construction was developed by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Washington Education Foundation with the goal of introducing students to careers in the construction industry through their high school courses.1 Created by the construction industry, this 1,080-hour program of study aims to prepare students for high-demand construction jobs throughout Washington state. Students learn real-world skills that give them an advantage in pursuing entry level positions, apprenticeships, post-secondary certificates, or college degrees.
From materials science to estimation and bidding, the two-year curriculum was developed to study a range of concepts through project-based learning. Students learn by hands-on experience and can earn math, science, or English language arts credits as well as Career and Technical Education (CTE) elective credits necessary for graduation.
Additionally, a Core Plus Construction student certificate was developed with employers to create a standardized method of documenting a student’s skill attainment. This certificate of competency defines the skills students have developed through the program and provides learners with an additional resource as they pursue employment or additional training and education.
Core Plus Construction offers schooldistricts in Washington state a high-quality, standards-based, comprehensive construction curriculum at no cost along with industry-sponsored field trips, guest speakers, student internships, and work-based learning opportunities. According to Diane Kocer, Executive Director at the AGC Education Foundation, “When developing this program, we made sure to be inclusive of all schools. Regardless of size or funding, we wanted to offer students a quality construction program of study. Construction is important for every part of the state — communities big and small. We want students to engage with the employers in their own communities to discover rewarding jobs.”
Core Plus Construction: An Official Framework of Study
In March 2020, the state of Washington’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) approved Core Plus Construction as an official framework of study. As a result, the program was added to a menu of 45 state course equivalencies and allowed students to receive high school credits in math, science, and English language arts.
The Value of Core Plus Construction
Jeff Tobin, COO at Schuchart and Board Member of the AGC Education Foundation, shared his journey to leadership in construction: “I started working in construction in high school, but no one ever told me that what I was doing was a career path. I went off to college, and when I got out, I worked doing drywall and framing. I was hired as a building engineer, and the company saw that I had some experience with construction and reading construction drawings. They offered to send me to the University of Washington for a certification in facilities construction management. I worked my way from a building engineer, facilities manager, and construction manager to where I am today with Schuchart. Core Plus Construction would have been an amazing program for a student like me who could have done more if I had been more engaged and told earlier in my studies about the opportunities.”
Jeff illustrates the career opportunities for students at early ages. The industry needs forepersons, superintendents, cost estimators, managers, marketing professionals and salespeople, and accountants to use cutting-edge technologies like virtual prototyping, modeling, immersive computing, integrated project delivery, and building information modeling. Presenting these possibilities to students in a classroom format that feels actionable and engaging is a way to capitalize on students’ interests and energy.
Part of the march toward fulfilling the overall mission of Core Plus Construction is to create the mindset that construction is a career of choice with enormous opportunity for professional growth and a proactive culture of lifelong learning. Once high school students are engaged with Core Plus Construction, the program helps their education goals and careers by providing scholarships, mentorship programs, and continuing education classes through the AGC of Washington Education Foundation.
“As we are all aware, the nation is facing a talent shortage. The construction industry is no exception. Moss Adams LLP is supportive of the Core Plus Construction efforts as the program provides an academic framework that promotes careers in the construction industry that span beyond project-related careers and includes finance-related positions, architects, and engineers,” states Elaine Ervin, Partner at Moss Adams LLP.