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CTE / Construction
        Page 12                                                                                                Electronic Edition: www .teachingtodaywi .com

                   Stadium renovation Project Expands Knight Construction Curriculum


                                                                                working  with  Boldt  Company  to  enhance   for years to come,” shares Program Leader
                                                                                the main entrance to the stadium and build   Matt  Lonergan.    “It’s  cool  that  even  after
                                                                                a  new  multi-use  building. The  new  build-  we  graduate,  we  get  to  be  a  part  of  the
                                                                                ing, which will replace the aging pole barn,   school for years and years to come,” Sch-
                                                                                will provide much-needed storage and team   weitzer explains. “I’m excited to be part of
                                                                                meeting space for several high school ath-  this  project  and  get  first-hand  experience
                                                                                letic teams, clubs, and youth programs.   working on different parts of this project,”
                                                                                   Students were able to work alongside   senior  Carson  Aalderks  adds.  Both  Sch-
                                                                                professionals  as  they  learned  a  variety  of   weitzer  and Aalderks  are  members  of  the
                                                                                skills,  including  setting  masonry  blocks,   Knight  Construction  crew  and  plan  to
                                                                                setting trusses, roofing, installing windows   pursue a career in construction after gradu-
                                                                                and doors, painting, electrical, and plumb-  ation.
                                                                                ing.  “It  will  be  helpful  to  have  both
                                                                                residential  and  commercial  experience
                                                                                as  we  move  forward  to  pursue  our  future
                                                                                careers,” shares senior Jersey Schweitzer.  www.ocfsd.org
                                                                                   “Not only does this project expand the
                                                                                Knight  Construction  program  to  include
        Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District  shovel at the groundbreaking ceremony for   commercial  experience,  it  also  offers  our
            Last  October,  a  crew  of  Knight  Con-  the  Knights  Community  Stadium  Renova-  students an opportunity to help build some-
        struction  students  from  Oak  Creek  High   tion Project.             thing that will be part of the OCHS campus
        School  (OCHS)  were  the  first  to  turn  the   Knight  Construction  students  were


        Wisconsin Students Build Stadium Facility, Launch Careers


                                                                                   At the ribbon-cutting, Martin
                                                                               said he was proud of the graduat-
                                                                               ing class.
                                                                                   “Knight Construction usually
                                                                               builds a house every year, so this
                                                                               was  a  one-off,”  Martin  said.  “I
                                                                               would  hope  any  school  gets  the
                                                                               opportunity  to  get  exposure  to
                                                                               commercial construction, even on
                                                                               the smaller side.”
                                                                                   Under  the  Knight  Construc-
                                                                               tion  Program,  students  learned
                                                                               different   construction   disciplines   from   build this with the kids,” he added.
                                                                               masonry  to  electrical  work  and  found  life   The  carpenters’  union  also  gets  returns
                                                                               skills such as teamwork and problem solving,   from connecting teens with careers, said Doug
                                                                               school officials said. JLA Architects provided   Volland, a representative for the NCSRCC.
                                                                               design services for the stadium project.  “This  is  a  career  path  that  requires  no
                                                                                   Martin  is  also  the  president  of  the  Oak   student debt, no student loans,” Volland said.
                                                                               Creek Youth Football program and came up with   “It’s  a  meaningful  career  and  in-demand
        By Ethan Duran for The Daily Reporter  start  full-time  work  when  they  graduate  in   the idea for a new building with Scott Holler,   career. It comes with family supporting wages
           Fifteen Oak Creek High School students   June.                      the school athletic director, after seeing another   and benefits. What could be better for a young
        on Thursday cut the ribbon to the new stadium   “[My  parents]  are  extremely  proud  of   school pull off a similar project. “I jokingly said,   man  or  young  woman  who  wants  to  have  a
        entrance  they  helped  build  and  celebrated   me,”  said  Sobieski,  17.  He  and  other  Oak   ‘Do you know what I do for a living?’ We can   career path right out of high school?”
        three  students  who  signed  onto  employment   Creek students worked with Boldt to construct
        with Appleton-based The Boldt Co.   a new entrance and multi-use building at the
           Deklan Sobieski, Adam Snead and Tegan   Knights  Community  Stadium  at  Oak  Creek
        Henderson  signed  up  to  work  for  Boldt  as   High School. Sobieski said he heard about the
        members of the North Central States Regional   Knight  Construction  Program  from  a  friend
        Council of Carpenters (NCSRCC). They will   and added he did a little bit of everything on
                                            the job site.
                                               “Today was a big deal for me. It was
                                            relieving to know that I have a job and can
                                            go somewhere after high school,” Sobieski
                                            said,  “and  not  stress  about  what  I  will  be
                                            doing.”
                                               The  project  replaced  an  old  pole  barn
                                            with a single-story storage building for several
                                            high  school  teams,  explained  Adam  Martin,
                                            the  project  manager  with  Boldt.  The  project
                                            broke ground in fall 2023 and was completed
                                            after seven months.
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