Conner Hearn, a Mahomet-Seymour High School senior, spent the first four weeks of his summer vacation with the Education for Employment System at Parkland College learning about trade jobs he could pursue after graduation.
Hearn, who has studied and loves mechanics, decided to join the Summer Construction Education Program because he loves to work.
“I love working,” he said with a smile. “I really do. I get along with people really well, and when I work it brings me energy.”
Students in the Summer Construction Program work from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. At the end of the course, they leave with a $500 stipend, a 10-hour safety certification from OSHA and one high school Construction Trades credit.
During the four week program, students visit the University of Illinois construction and welding labs where they learn how to make name tags, they visit with brick layers, plumbers and pipe fitters to learn about the trade and they have gutted a house, which Habitat for Humanity will renovate.
Hearn said he really enjoyed learning how to put a new roof on the house the group gutted. With his training, he said he feels comfortable re-roofing his parent’s home.
“We want to get students who want this construction experience and hands-on learning experience so that we can present them with different types of careers in the career and technical education category,” Special Projects Coordinator Renae Kirkton said. “Hopefully some of them will end up working for a union one day.”
The Summer Construction Program is led by two instructors with construction experience. The Habitat for Humanity also sends instructors out to help the students as they learn the proper ways to do things.
Hearn said he was surprised to learn that a trade career can be just as, if not more, profitable as a career with a bachelor’s degree.
“Everyone pushes for a four-year education,” Kirkton said. “A four-year diploma is definitely great, and the Education for Employment system encourages people to do that, but programs like this and the dual credit at Parkland is great for kids who don’t want to go to college for four years.”
“The reality is that sometimes people who don’t go to college for four years or who work in the trades make more than (those) who have a bachelor’s degree,” she continued. “The statistics out there are crazy. One of the guys at the University of Illinois, who is an elevator maintenance technician makes over $100,000 per year. And a union apprenticeship can start at $40,000 to $50,000 per year.”
The Education for Employment System will also launch a dual-credit program for high school students this fall. Hearn is looking forward to continuing his training in the automotive and technology program throughout his senior year.
Until then, he will continue to spend his summer days working at the Carriage Crossing Senior Living Center in Arcola.
