Last month, the Charleston Building and Construction Trades Council attended a career day event for Mountaineer Challenge Academy cadets at their south campus in Montgomery, West Virginia.
The Charleston Building Trades Council’s involvement in this event is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the pipeline of quality applicants to the skilled trades.
“With the amount of work we have on the horizon due to the passage of the federal infrastructure bill, it is extremely important that we focus our efforts on recruiting good personnel,” said Fred Chandler, Business Manager for the Charleston Building and Construction Trades Council.
The Mountaineer Challenge Academy is a quasi-military alternative school sponsored by the West Virginia National Guard.
The mission of the Academy is to train and mentor at-risk youths, between the ages of 16-18, to become contributing members of society.
The Academy uses a 22-week residential program and a one-year post-residential follow up curriculum in a structured environment to train cadets to pay attention to detail, respect others, develop self-discipline, and obey a chain of command.
“We take every opportunity to engage with young, motivated people who may have an interest in taking on a career in the trades,” said Chandler. “I want to thank the Mountaineer Challenge Academy staff and all of the crafts who participated in this event.”
Representatives from the Carpenters, Electricians, Roofers, Painters, and Laborers were in attendance at the event.
For more information on apprenticeship opportunities in the Charleston, West Virginia area and around the state, log on to www.wvapprenticeships.com.
