Written By Megin Potter | Photo Provided
[From the Fall 2023 Showcase of Homes Magazine]
Earning a living while building America - the innovative way high school students are jumpstarting their future.
The tiny house returns to the Saratoga Showcase of Homes this year –- an intriguing glimpse at careers in the trades built entirely by high school students.
“The Showcase is proud and excited to be able to help promote the trades during our annual premiere showcase event,” said Showcase Co-Chair Barry Potoker, Executive Director of the Saratoga Builders Association.
Built by students in the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex (WSWHE) BOCES construction cluster, this year’s 8’ x 24’ single-level tiny house features exterior vinyl siding, shingle roof, Anderson windows, a bedroom, living area, washer/dryer hookup, shower, composting toilet, storage, and mini-split heating and cooling system.
“This is the future coming up, whether we’re ready for it or not, and that’s powerful,” said Bruce Hoffmann, BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) Work-Based Learning Coordinator, about New York’s increasing demand for energy efficient ductless mini-split heat pump installations. “This is an important opportunity for students to see how they work.”
“What we do collaboratively in construction clusters is bring students into the trades and into jobs where workers are in high demand,” he explained.
In addition to tiny homes, previous WSWHE BOCES projects have included a she-shed, home office, and hunting cabin. This year’s tiny house is a completely new design developed by WSWHE BOCES instructor Ian Hamilton and students learning construction, electrical, HVAC, and heavy equipment operation. Next year, they plan to have welding students build the heavy-duty trailer (that hauls the structure), as well.
Knowledge Today Builds Expertise for Tomorrow
The well-being and economic health of Saratoga County is fed by well-paying jobs providing hands-on experience to those with a variety of interests and skill sets.
A 2021 US Department of Labor report indicates there are approximately 1.1 million unfilled construction jobs in the nation, and that less than 10 percent of jobs in the field are held by women. To close the gap locally, learning about the trades starts in second grade. Yes – second grade!
“There are misconceptions about working in the trades that go back 30 or 40 years,” said Doug Ford, Vice President of Sales and Purchasing at Ballston Spa’s Curtis Lumber.
To change the conversation, Curtis Lumber donates materials (or supplies them at a significantly reduced cost), and lines up additional vendors to help supply the WSWHE BOCES projects. By collaborating with the Saratoga Builders Association and other organizations for more than two decades, this workforce coalition strives to crush misconceptions about the industry. Students learn how local careers in the trades are more lucrative, inclusive, and provide safer working conditions, than ever before through in-school instruction, job shadowing and internship opportunities, as well as site tours and career fairs.
Students visiting Curtis Lumber in Ballston Spa learn about careers in product management and what happens in the estimating department; tour the kitchen design and project center; see how doors and windows are hung; and learn about delivery logistics while exploring the fleet of trucks, forklifts, and repair shop.
Operating for six years as the Capital Region Workforce Development Coalition, the newly designated 501c6 nonprofit has been renamed the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition, and has expanded to include more than 40 organizations, including schools, colleges, industry vendors, and a legislative component advocating for the Capital Region trades.
Three years ago, the group teamed up with former Hudson Valley Community College instructor Mike Baron, designer of the Expertise Project, to create a library of 200+ videos deemed the “Netflix of local jobs” to encourage local career investigations.
The industry evolves at a fast pace and everyday more complex building codes are put in place. Displaying the tiny house at the Saratoga Showcase of Homes (and at event locations around the region) is an inventive way to connect students and parents to an exciting new future.
Mark Your Calendar:
Saturday, Oct. 7th, 10 am – 2 p.m., at 27 Winterberry Lane, Saratoga Springs, will be the Saratoga Showcase of Homes Vertical Garden and Toolbox Building Student Activity promoting work in the trades. Completed gardens will be sold in the spring. Proceeds benefit the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition
