“It’s almost impossible to pick what your average student looks like,” says Scott Mattson, job training manager at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC). Referring to the college’s construction and electrician training programs, Mattson echoes a sentiment of the construction industry in general: the workforce is constantly evolving. Despite shifting with technology and the economy, construction is a sector that remains constant in one vital area: the need for professional, skilled workers.
Whether these are young adults just out of high school, seasoned professionals changing their career trajectory, or returning citizens seeking a new and fruitful path after release from prison, construction laborers are eager and willing. They just need the tools to get started.
