HHS students attending Mid Coast Construction Academy

Although classes at Hallettsville ISD started on Aug. 17, seven of its high school students began attending the Mid Coast Construction Academy (MCA), on Wednesday, Aug. 9 to study the construction trades.

The Mid Coast Construction Academy, which is located in Victoria, is a Pre-Apprenticeship program that provides career education through hands-on lab training and related classroom instruction in either electrical, plumbing, or HVAC.

Participants gain training and National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certifications for these in-demand fields while still in high school.

Following completion of the Academy, it allows the students to enter directly into the adult apprenticeship program upon graduation.

In addition, each of these career pathways provides the sequence of courses needed for students to achieve the “completer” status in the Architecture and Construction program of study.

The MCA’s Pre-Apprenticeship program is a career education combining hands-on lab training and related classroom instruction.

Pre-Apprentices are full-time students in a local school districts and during the term, the pre-apprentice works and studies under the supervision and guidance of a journeyperson or master instructor for 10 hours each week without pay during the school term. The hours spent in the electrical lab count toward state apprenticeship license on-the-job learning hours.

Participants in MCA’s high school program gain training and NCCER certifications for these in-demand fields while still in high school, allowing them to enter directly into the adult apprenticeship program upon graduation and participate in the on-the-job training partnership with area businesses.

The Mid-Coast Construction Academy was established in 2018 by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Texas Mid Coast Chapter in an effort to fill the high demand gaps in the construction industry, especially in the areas of plumbing and electrical.

Because of a demand in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) in the local area, MCA has added HVAC Tech to its list of craft training.

Since the MCA was founded by the Association of Builders and Contractors (ABC) and local construction trade employers serve as advisors to assist with program content and program operations. This helps to ensure that it is based on real world application.

Many times, throughout the year, the MCA hosts sponsoring employers who talk to students about their career journey and to inspect their work. The constant feedback helps MCA staff to ensure that they are providing apprentices with skills that the employers actually want and need. Additionally, the MCA Board Trustees, who possess construction and/ or education backgrounds, are extremely involved with the program.

“I think people are realizing that not everyone has to attend college to be successful,” Kristi Stevenson, president of ABC said. “We prepare our students to thrive in these high-demand occupations, by not just teaching curriculum, but enriching their experience through: safety certifications, lessons on work ethic and soft skills, exposing them to jobsites and the construction-world through field trips, learning about entrepreneurship, plus much more.”

According to MCA board treasurer, Jim Johnson, the MCA provides a great opportunity to build an educated, skilled workforce to fuel future growth and economic development in the Golden Crescent Region.

Jim Matson, Master Electrician and MCA Instructor said, “The program is multifaceted. We introduce them to a trade that can make them a living. Our contractors are looking for entry-level electricians and plumbers. We want them to get their NCCER textbook certification. We also want to teach them entry level skills that the employers can put to use right away, so we’re teaching both the mechanical end of it and the theoretical end of it so that they’ll have the skills to advance once they get hired at the initial rate.”

Other benefits of the current program are the “soft skills” students walk away with. Skills such as interviewing, and resume writing prepare students to search for and land jobs in the real world. Attendance and punctuality are also key. If students are running late or will miss class, they must call in just like they would with a real job.

Hallettsville students also get the chance to work with different students from different backgrounds. Local high schools send pre-apprentices from all over the area including Victoria East and West, VSA, Cuero and St. Joseph High School.

All of the classroom curriculum and testing is through NCCER, which is nationally recognized as a top tier education network in the construction industry. Students gain industry recognized certifications throughout their time at MCA and could potentially graduate high school with up to three NCCER certificates.

Four HHS students are enrolled in the electrical program including Frankie Howell, Payten Wenske, Kole Pustejovsky and Garett Weir, while Kaden Grahmann and Coltyn Needham are enrolled in plumbing and Brady Copley is pursuing the HVAC program.

“It’s fantastic to see so many young men from my alma mater interested in the trades,” former HHS graduate and program director, Matt Hilbrich said. “When I graduated from Hallettsville High School in 1993, I would have never thought I would one day be training students from there. Through a lifetime of working in construction, getting hurt, and switching to education, I have put myself on a path to train others in a field I absolutely love and to be able to teach students from my old high school is just icing on the cake.”

Hilbrich said even if they never go into construction after graduation, it will still give them a wealth of knowledge they can apply in the real world.

“If they are going to be a homeowner, they will have skills to make their own repairs and it also gives them something to fall back on,” Hilbrich said. “We hope to continue this relationship we have built with HHS for years to come by adding more and more students to the MCA program.”

Mike Weaver, co-founder of Weaver & Jacobs Construction with 37 years of experience in constructing and managing various types of facility projects said, “The Mid-Coast Construction Academy is the culmination of years of effort in getting this startup going and providing industry recognized craft training for high school juniors and seniors is part of our mission.”

Weaver, who is a strong proponent of the Mid-Coast Construction Academy, said they have tripled the attendance within the last two years and look forward to continued growth.

Hallettsville ISD is providing daily transportation to and from Victoria with Ronnie Rehm employed with the district on a contract basis to transport the students.

Hallettsville ISD superintendent, Dr. Jo Ann Bludau, said the district anticipates increased interest and enrollment in the programs and will continue to support Hallettsville High School students interested in obtaining their NCCER Certifications to become licensed plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians.