02/25/2024
Duneland School Corporation to host THE SANDBOX for Porter County students interested in lucrative careers in civil construction
“If I could have spent my high school years learning in an outdoor construction lab called ‘the sandbox,’ I might have chosen an entirely different career path.”
So Nick Dmitrovich, a writer with Building Indiana Magazine, opens his article entitled “The Sandbox: An Engaging New Construction Classroom Experience,” posted on Feb. 2.
“And that’s exactly the point, according to the group of local partnering organizations that worked together to make such a learning environment possible,” Dmitrovich continues. “The new civil construction program, set to start in Porter County next autumn, is all about building engagement and excitement through a new, hands-on educational experience that will be guided by construction industry partners.”
As it happens, the Duneland School Corporation will host “The Sandbox,” a practical and experiential clinic for any Porter County high-schooler interested in pursuing a lucrative career in civil construction. The curriculum will be varied and comprehensive and feature classes in “asphalt and concrete paving, bridges, construction inspection, erosion control, flagging, formwork, heavy equipment operation, safety, soils, surveying, and more,” as Dmitrovich notes.
“In this innovative learning environment, students will have the opportunity to operate heavy machinery, work with surveying equipment, build concrete forms, and even pour concrete,” Dmitrovich adds. “They’ll also be able to learn about things like materials testing, job site layouts, and the various soil properties that impact construction.”
On the ground floor of The Sandbox was the Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF), whose director of professional development, Kevin Comerford, told the Town of Chesterton that a number of union contractors, including Superior Construction and Grimmer Construction, initially approached CAF a couple of years ago to pitch the idea of a program aimed at developing a local and sustainable source of skilled labor for an industry in genuine need of skilled labor.
“The pipeline for construction in Northwest Indiana looks great 10 years out,” Comerford said. “But contractors will have trouble getting these jobs done with the ongoing labor shortage.”
So Comerford began working with the Center for Workforce Innovation (CWI) and then the Porter County Career Center (PCCC), whose director/principal, Audra Peterson, ultimately undertook the heavy lifting in partnership with Porter County school administrators and technical educators.
“I’ve been involved with The Sandbox’s creation, which has been highly supported by local civil construction employers,” Comerford says. “It’s truly a wonderful opportunity to learn about the world of civil construction and obtain skills that can lead to in-demand, high-paying career opportunities.”
Duneland Schools Superintendent Dr. Chip Pettit couldn’t agree more with Comerford. “We’re really excited that Audra Peterson at the Porter County Career Center has been able to identify a program for an emerging job market that our students will be able to take advantage of,” Pettit said. “We know we need credentialed workers, not necessarily with four-year degrees or two-year degrees, but with the highly specialized, technical training that they’ll be able to get at The Sandbox.”
“That’s how we can stem the brain drain and keep our kids in the community, by preparing them for high-paying jobs in civil construction,” Pettit added. “Highways, roads, bridges, laborers: There’s a whole range of different career paths a student can pursue.”
Discussions are currently underway with the Porter County Park Board on the possibility of establishing a site for The Sandbox at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, Pettit noted. “We’re looking at a couple of acres for the machinery and heavy equipment,” he said. Classrooms are likely to be located either at the Trojan Learning Center—in the Duneland Schools Administration Building on West Morgan Ave.—or else at Sunset Hill Farm County Park itself.
Westside Equipment will be sponsoring the heavy equipment, with other tools and surveying gear to be provided by local contractors and trade unions.
Let PCCC Director/Principal Audra Peterson have the last word, as quoted by Dmitrovich: “We have had overwhelming support from key business partners in Northwest Indiana. There is such a demand for personnel in all aspects of the civil construction industry, and with the federal and state commitments for infrastructure funding there is going to be long-term demand. This will be a valuable addition to our already growing list of opportunities for Porter County career and technical education and I am really excited about the opportunity to bring this program to Northwest Indiana.”
The Chesterton Public Affairs Liaison wishes to thank Nick Dmitrovich for his outstanding coverage of The Sandbox in Building Indiana Magazine.
Photo below from Building Indiana Magazine
