Contractor teaches Milwaukee middle school students about construction careers

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With small shovels and hardhats, a project team made of seventh and eighth grade students turned the dirt at their own project groundbreaking in northwest Milwaukee.

Menomonee Falls-based J.H. Hassinger on Tuesday broke ground on a community meditation garden at Granville Lutheran Campus, a private elementary school on Granville Road. It was part of a year-long program with LUMIN Schools to expose youngsters to construction careers before they graduate to high school, officials said.

Students partially led the design of the Granville Meditation Garden and picked materials for a wooden pergola with a concrete path and masonry benches. In January, 27 students gave pitch presentations to the school superintendent, the local alderwoman and the general contractor’s president and architect before one was selected to move forward. A six-student team led by Noel Payton, an eighth grader, moved onto the next level.

The construction industry is looking for ways to attract young people as many workers in the trades retire and high school students focus on college. In March, there were 224,00 construction job openings nationwide, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Jennifer DeLaporte, director of business development at J.H. Hassinger, said she was inspired to help start the program after attending a luncheon 10 years ago and hearing about the industry’s struggles with recruitment. At the event, she reflected on her experience as a mother with young children.

“Young people have such optimism and imagination,” DeLaporte said. “In thinking about this program as a mother of young children, I wanted to create a program that started earlier so we can make sure no student gets excluded from the pathway to construction by not being exposed.”

Shaun Luehring, superintendent of LUMIN Schools, said it was important to show kids career paths and build relationships with adults in middle school or earlier, as children start eliminating career paths when they reach high school.

Around 250 students from 4K through 8^th grade learned about the construction profession in some way since last fall, Luehring said. Activities included a showcase of heavy equipment and stretching exercises. Project teams learned budgeting and scale.

Delivering student-led project was a team effort

After being selected, Payton’s team designed part of the meditation garden. The team had to estimate, take yardage and pretend to call subcontractors and compare prices, DeLaporte said.

Other students will still be able to get involved with the garden by painting bricks and shaping concrete blocks before they’re placed in the structure.

But from here, J.H. Hassinger crews will take over the heavy work for the 4–6-week project. It’s expected to be completed in mid-June.

The project was supported by Bliffert Lumber, Schmitz Ready Mix, Halquist Stone, Render 3D Quick and Signworks.