A modest new educational/training program in Providence shows how it is possible to address work force needs using creativity and careful planning – and in the process, make a positive social as well as economic impact.
The work force need in this case is for construction project managers. Also needed are manageable career paths for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Working together, Gilbane Inc., the Met Center, the Community College of Rhode Island and Roger Williams University designed a program that connects those dots in a very precise and innovative way to create a classic win-win.
Students at the Met Center, the state-financed high school that uses internships to drive educational experiences, will work as interns at Gilbane while carrying a course load that is heavy in math and science. After graduation, they will be placed in full-time engineering clerk positions at the company while working toward an associate’s degree at CCRI. Once that is achieved, they will reduce their hours at Gilbane so they can attend Roger Williams University School of Engineering on half scholarship.
After they graduate, they’ll find a construction project manager job waiting for them at Gilbane, if they choose to take it. This is a career where median incomes are in the $70,000 range and can go much higher. Currently, the first two Met Center graduates have started their work-study at CCRI. But more will follow them.
The state needs more of this kind of partnership and creative problem-solving. It’s not enough for businesses to complain about inadequacies in the labor force. They need to show some leadership in helping to fill the gaps. •