Shaw University: Students have ‘cool’ day learning about trades

Reese Gingerich is thinking about becoming an electrician.  The 16-year-old West Branch (Iowa) High School student got a look at what it takes to be a skilled worker in the electrical trades – including taking a ride on a scissor-lift high above the ground. “I think I’d like to do that for a living… But […]

Reese Gingerich is thinking about becoming an electrician.  The 16-year-old West Branch (Iowa) High School student got a look at what it takes to be a skilled worker in the electrical trades – including taking a ride on a scissor-lift high above the ground.

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“I think I’d like to do that for a living… But I’m still thinking about what I really want to do. I’m still a sophomore,” the area high school student said Thursday morning, March 21, at the Shaw Electric Training Center and Pre-Fabrication Shop, located at 3801 Frontage Road, Davenport. Mr. Gingerich was one of 66 area students to attend the inaugural Shaw University event hosted at Shaw Electric’s west Davenport facility. That “university” was a daylong event filled with hands-on activities (such as riding a lift), safety lessons and conversations with professionals in the trades. The company event was meant to show area high school students what it takes to become a skilled worker in the electrical trades. “Hopefully, they will come here and say ‘This is cool’ or figure out this isn’t for them,” Bob Shaw Jr., Shaw Electric’s president, told the QCBJ. He added that another goal of Shaw University is to show young people that they have options after high school. They don’t have to go to college and run up a massive debt in order to find a career. Instead, they can get into an apprenticeship program, get paid while they train and have a great and high-paying career, Mr. Shaw said. Several Shaw Electric leaders added that presenting the university is a great way to show students a “day in the life of an electrician.” Some students get a glimpse during other job fairs when Shaw employees can spend a minute or two with a student. But Thursday’s event was much more thorough because Shaw employees got to spend five hours with the students and give them a much better view of the electrical services jobs that are available. “It shows them the skills that are needed. … And I hope students will have a higher respect for tradespeople after they spend the day here,” said Julian Vandervelde, the business development manager for Shaw Electric. In addition to helping students understand their career options, Shaw University was also set up to help the industry, which is experiencing a significant shortage in the field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be about 80,000 jobs per year available for electricians over the next 10 years.  That shortage also can be seen in the Quad Cities. “We’re always looking for good people. You never turn down good employees because good employees are hard to find,” said Mr. Vandervelde. During the event, about 22 Shaw Electric employees (most wearing red T-shirts printed with “Shaw University”) showed the dozens of students the skills needed in the electrical fields through a series of seven stations representing different aspects of the trades. Those stations included: preconstruction, lifts, low voltage, wire pulling, wiring, conduit and safety. The students were divided into groups of about 10 as they toured the different stations in the Shaw building. At the safety station, for example, students got to see and wear safety gear and hear why safety is always the top priority. “We want to make sure everybody comes home at night…. I’m here today to stress the importance of safety in everything they do,” said Chris Girod, Shaw’s safety director, who was one of the two workers at the safety station. The participating students represented eight area high schools. Each school sent several students who have expressed interest in the electrical trades. The schools included Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley, Assumption, North Scott, West Branch and Davenport’s three high schools – West, Central and North. In future years, more students from more schools may be attending Shaw University. Mr. Shaw said he was so pleased with the first-time event that he is already making plans for future Shaw events. “This has garnered a lot of interest because there is such a need for this,” he said, adding that he has already received messages from other area schools and vendors that want to be part of future Shaw University events. The Shaw University also was a big hit with the high school students. Many of them said the lift station was their favorite activity of the day. Another student who took a ride on one of the two lifts was Will Pilcher, 16, a junior at North Scott High School. After riding on the lift, he said the event might be the first step toward a career in the electrical trades. “I think this is pretty cool…. It’s definitely something I want to do,” he added.