JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local high school is preparing students for the future while also addressing the construction worker shortage.
Numbers released by the Associated Builders and Contractors show half a million construction jobs need to be filled nationwide just this year to meet the demand.
A. Philip Randolph Career Academies’ construction program prepares students to join the workforce as soon as they graduate and students told News4JAX the program makes them feel less concerned about their future.
But the school is one that would close under a proposed plan from Duval County Public Schools.
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Michael Burt, the welding instructor at A. Philip Randolph Career Academies, teaches 65 students hands-on skills they can use as soon as they graduate.
“They love the hands-on part about it. They love that they can go straight from high school into a job making good money, so they absolutely love it,” Burt said.
Experts say worker shortage is a problem the construction industry has been dealing with since before the pandemic.
“There’s a huge shortage of welders right now and any construction trade,” Burt said. “A lot of people in the trades now are getting to retirement age. They’re ready to move on. Someone has to fill those jobs.”
Senior Darwell Thorne is class valedictorian and will graduate with certifications to kick-start his career.
“Having this experience in high school is really important because when you’re going into the field, you’re going to have that step up above other people that are trying to look for the same job,” Thorne said.
Senior Jayden Jones said she loves the hands-on training she gets from Burt.
“I was always on the edge about what I wanted to do with my life. Did I want to go to college or not? Once I got here, I met Burt, fell in love with the class, obviously. I love welding,” Jones said.
Studies show that college enrollment has dropped nearly 7.5% since 2010.
Burt said the construction program gives students who are unsure about college another option.
“We have a lot of kids in Duval County that … don’t all want to go to college,” Burt said. “They just want to have gainful employment and have a good career. It’s good for the number of kids that we have. It pushes as many through these programs as we can.”
Under the DCPS proposal, A. Philip Randolph is one of 30 schools that would close or relocate. Its programs would merge with other schools in the area.