Midlands Education and Business Alliance connects Midlands students to careers in architecture, construction

Midlands Education and Business Alliance connects students and educators from Midlands’ Schools to careers in architecture and construction at the Carolina Classic Home and Garden Show

Midlands Education and Business Alliance, SC Department of Commerce and Building Industry Association of Central South Carolina (BIA) hosted students and educators from Midland’s school districts Friday, March 8th at the Carolina Classic Home and Garden Show.

Stan Beckley, Former Segment Sector Manager for BMC and Member of the BIA of Construction Workforce and Education task force, welcomed students and educators to Blueprint for Your Future. Mr. Beckley invited students to take part in a fast growing career field full of opportunity to include business development, construction management, real estate, carpentry, industrial technologies, landscaping, architecture and beyond. Blueprint for Your Future is a student field study designed for students interested in architecture and construction career paths. The event allows students to learn more about these careers, earning potential, required skills and education, and extended learning opportunities available like job shadowing and internships. Blueprint for Your Future is an important experience for students as it provides them with real world exposure as they make important decisions about career and college.

MEBA constructed a panel of experts from the Midlands to address the students including Trae Carson (C.R. Jackson), Jordan Jolly (McCrory Construction), Tim Kehoe (Kehoe Constructors) and Patrick Bukszar (Essex Homes). Students learned first-hand about current and future workforce needs, opportunities for entrepreneurship, employer expectations, required education and industry credentials, and more.

Following the expert panel discussion, Alan Clayton, Department Chair at Midlands Technical College, presented industrial technology programs offered by the college to include Building Construction Technology, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology, Commercial Graphic Technology, Automotive Technology and Machine Tool Technology. Also participating in Blueprint for Your Future were the following partners and resources for students, National Association for Women in Construction, Rescare Inc. and Midlands Technical College, admissions. During the second half of the field study, students toured the home and garden show to learn more about industry careers and had the opportunity to network with various businesses related to the construction industry.

“Connecting with business and industry through job shadowing, internships and field studies like Blueprint for your Future provide students exposure to the real world as they make plans for their future.” said
Beckley.