5 minute read
Workforce Development
Kitsap Building Association targets workforce from 2 to 24
by Janelle GuthrieCommunications Director
When it comes to workforce development, Kitsap Building Association (KBA) First Vice President Bob Disney of Disney and Associates knows today’s toddler is tomorrow’s tradesperson.
Disney and his colleagues in Kitsap County offer experiences ranging from “Tractors and Tikes” and “Construction in Motion” to “Trades in Motion” and the “Builder Grant Program” to engage the future workforce from age two to 24.
Construction in Motion/Tractors and Tikes
Similar to “Dozer Day” events supported by the Central Washington Home Builders Association and the Building Industry Association of Clark County, “Construction in Motion” provides children in Kitsap County an opportunity to climb up on all sorts of construction vehicles, including dump trucks, excavators, bulldozers and more. Kids build toolboxes then receive t-shirts, hardhats and tools for their toolboxes. They also can take a floor joist walk and cheer on their favorite excavators in the annual excavator races.
When COVID-19 caused KBA to cancel its 2021 Fall Home Show, as well as “Construction in Motion,” Disney shifted gears and launched “Tractors and Tikes” with all COVID-19 protocols in place. Roughly 1,200 people participated in the five-hour event at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds last fall.
“Despite COVID-19 concerns, we still had people lined up around the building,” Disney said. “Kids love to get up on the equipment, to hear the clanking of the machinery and to feel the rumble of the engines. It’s all about creating a lasting memory, and a catalyst as they think about their future. Some kids come back year after year with their toolboxes to participate in this event.”
More than 1,200 people came to “Tractors and Tikes” at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds
Trades in Motion
Fast-forward to high school. The KBA Trades in Motion program is a five-day hands-on educational opportunity with five focus areas: Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, painting/coating and HVAC. Students entering grades nine through 12 pay a $25 fee to participate. Then they’re broken into five groups of four who rotate through each trade with a mentor who gives them opportunities to learn through formal training and hands-on experience.
Disney worked with former KBA Executive Officer Russ Shiplet to launch the program in 2018, and it’s continued from there. Now, local businesses support the program by funding the KBA foundation and providing lunch for the students. There’s even a tool giveaway at the end.
“First, they get safety training then they learn about everything from painting to pouring concrete foundations,” Disney said. “Once they’ve gone through all the trades, they build a dog house using the skills they’ve learned.”
Builder Grant Program
After high school, youth can apply for the KBA Builder Grant Program, connecting workers age 18 to 24 to six-week residential construction internships with local builders, remodelers and subcontractors. With an emphasis on carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting and coating and HVAC, the year-round program provides a $250 stipend to successful applicants so they can get the tools and equipment they need to be job-ready. Workers then enter a six-week, paid job opportunity. If they’re successful, these workers receive another $250 at the end of the program as well as a certificate of completion and often a full-time job offer.
According to KBA Executive Officer Randall King, the popularity of our program has generated numerous applicants through word of mouth. The association works closely with YouthBuild Kitsap and Kitsap Community Resources to identify participants. Funded through the US Dept. of Labor and operated by the Olympic Educational Service District 114, YouthBuild Kitsap teaches construction trades to students who have dropped out academically, giving them a fresh chance in the job market.
Kitsap County high school students learn from building experts as part of the 2018 Trades in Motion program.
KBA member companies who mentor workers receive $5/hour in wage reimbursement up to $1,200 to help offset the cost of the paid job training. They can then hire the newly trained workers. And many of them do!
Disney has two young workers who started in the program on Jan. 31, 2022. And he’s hired three of them over the last several years.
Last summer, he purchased a new tool trailer to support the YouthBuild program. The trailer is fully decked out with the YouthBuild logo and imagery— and the door includes a mirror, Disney said, so students can see themselves with a future in construction.
A member of the BIAW Workforce Development Task Force, Disney says he would love to see these programs replicated across the state.
If you have questions about workforce development, please contact Education and Workforce Development Director Al Audette at (360) 352-7800 x 105 or ala@ biaw.com.
