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Oct 20, 2023

FDL High School's Career Construction Academy tours C.D. Smith project.

FOND DU LAC - Fond du Lac High School’s Career Construction Academy students

FOND DU LAC - Fond du Lac High School's Career Construction Academy students were given "bird's eye view" experiences at the Northwestern Mutual Building in Milwaukee through its partnership with C.D. Smith.

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With C.D. Smith Safety Director Pat Smith, one of the major contractors, students were able to go behind-the-scenes and see what happens during construction on a 1.1 million-square-foot building. This allowed them to go onto a scaffold plank at the 26th floor and take a hoist elevator to the 35th.

Student Kolten Sabel said that he gained respect for the workers who build in the frigid temperatures through experience, while Jordan Payne said that it gave him insight into what goes into the building process.

"The amount of time spent planning these jobs out so they run smoothly must require a ton of work and dedication in the office," said Sabel.

It is hoped that these kinds of experiences can spark a student to decide to join the field — in positions such as carpenter, plumber, electrician, sheet metal worker and more — during a time when companies are facing a shortage of skilled trades workers.

"C.D. Smith is excited to partner with Fond du Lac High School and the Career Construction Academy to offer opportunities such as the Northwestern Mutual tour to the students. We welcome every opportunity to provide hands-on learning experiences and inspire students to consider a career in the construction industry. It is truly rewarding to see the excitement on their faces after visiting an active jobsite," said Smith.

Fond du Lac High School's CCA Tech Ed Instructor Vern Widmer says that the program is succeeding by providing such experiences, describing the excitement the students had on the field trip.

"Once the guys were in the vehicle and warmed up a bit, they were non stop excited about what they had experienced. Each one of them marveled at all the details that have to come together to make a project like this a reality. While the outside temperatures were brutal, it will no doubt help etch positivity into the minds of these four guys, what the trades offer them as a career."