Eduardo Mendez was part of Richmond Senior High Schools’ CTE program when his teacher told him about an opportunity to get construction work experience at Volumetric Building Companies (VBC) in Hamlet, NC. He was curious about modular homes so he decided to give it a try. It was his first job.
He began working part-time during high school gaining experience in the floor and wall framing stations and more recently has been laying sheetrock and backsplash. “I’m still learning,” he says. “And it’s been fun.”
Mendez credits Clifton Dial, former Training and Development Manager at Volumetric Building Companies, in helping him understand job expectations, processes and timing, and tools and safety training. Dial hired Mendez through Richmond Community College’s participation with an apprenticeship program registered through ApprenticeshipNC.
Registered apprenticeship programs with ApprenticeshipNC benefit both employees and employers. During the two-year long program, companies who sponsor apprenticeships receive $2000 per apprentice to spend towards training supplies, such as workplace tools and materials. Additionally, since Mendez began his apprenticeship pathway in high school as a youth apprentice, he receives a 100% tuition waiver on any classes that are identified between the employer and the college as being necessary for the job the employee will be doing. And maybe the biggest benefit for the employer is a 50% salary reimbursement to the employing company during the first year of the apprenticeship program (verified through the submission of payment records). The current value of this partnership is over $23,000.
“There are a lot of opportunities at the state level for factories to receive monetary help with recruitment for high school and community college students,” says Dial. “Each state has a similar program, but under a different name. Sometimes these programs take a little digging to find, but they are out there. Our area representative, Joyce Milling, was incredibly helpful in leading us through the process.”
Through his experience working at VBC, Eduardo had conversations with co-workers who encouraged him to look into Civil Engineering as a career path.
“They thought it was a good path for me to look into because I was young and because of the depth of experience I was getting on the job,” says Mendez. “My mom was a little worried about my decision to go into construction - you know, moms worry about their sons,” he says. “But she’s supportive now and my dad has always enjoyed construction and has supported my decision from the beginning.”
The VBC factory in Hamlet, NC that Mendez began working in was recently purchased by Cavco Industries and he has stayed on during that transition.
He is currently moving towards the Civil Engineering path and is taking electrical, plumbing and HVAC classes at Richmond Community College to enhance his understanding of how all construction components work together.
A version of this was previously published on Offsite Builder.