From Basic Blueprint Reading to Home Design to Carpentry
"You never really realize how much you’ve learned or what your skill is until you can apply it to something."
I have learned a lot in my two years in Construction Trades, from basic blueprint reading to home design to carpentry. I started the class with basically zero knowledge in the construction field, and on top of that I wasn't the best at math. But slowly we went through the basics and had a lot of hands-on experience and opportunities. We built sheds and garages and a lot of other structures. The scope wasn't very big but there was a lot to learn.
My favorite thing that I learned through both years has definitely been carpentry. I really enjoy carpentry and building things, so I think that the skills I learned can definitely apply to the real world. Along with carpentry I got the opportunity to work with a lot of electrical. I started with basic outlets and switches, and then moved on to multiple circuits. You never really realize how much you’ve learned or what your skill is until you can apply it to something, and we had that chance.
Along with this, we also built a 1½ car garage (see pictures), it was an on-site job, so it wasn't exactly the same as working at the shop. If we made mistakes, the owners could see, and if we did a good job, they would see that too. We had a certain time frame and I think that the garage turned out to be a really good learning experience.
One of the perks of this class is that you can feel like you play a role. Everyone has a job and when we all do our jobs, I think the job site and the build is a lot easier and smooth, especially when everyone is on the same page.
There are a lot of leadership opportunities as well. You can apply to be a foreman, and I was able to get the position. Being in charge of a group is something I think is very useful even outside the shop because it gives you the opportunity to show your leadership skills. If you and a team can accomplish a goal, it makes you feel good about it, like you're doing your job well. In the long run, the better you can work with people the farther you can go in the real world. My class has had a lot of individual assignments and smaller group projects, but for the most part, we have always worked together and got the job done together, which not only strengthened us as a class, but also taught that teamwork can help you through even the most difficult tasks.