HIRAM, Maine — According to Maine's Department of Economic and Community Development, construction jobs are growing at a rate of 12 percent in Maine, compared to 8 percent nationally.
The Maine Construction Academy helps students learn about the trades with an immersion program they hope attracts a new generation of skilled workers, developing skills in and outside the classroom.
Local contractors are guiding students from Sacopee Valley High School through all aspects of the construction industry. From welding to operating heavy equipment, students get hands-on experiences in the classroom, including multiple jobsites.
The academy is a four-week construction trades immersion program launched by the Associated General Contractors of Maine, last year.
Bradlee Dyer will graduate next year and wants to enter the construction industry.
"I got into a few excavators and pieces of equipment, and that really piqued my interest," Dyer said.
Brady Knudsen originally wanted to go to veterinary school but got into the trades after taking a welding class in high school. He said he hopes to work as a welder at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.
"It's going to be so much easier for me not to pay off that college debt. I love working with my hands. I will be able to work and retire earlier," Knudsen said.
Students also earn training certification from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, certifications for construction first aid and CPR, and a "Core Badge" demonstrating basic construction skills.
Senior Dennis La Londe said the training is an excellent foundation for becoming a paramedic.
"I think first aid CPR is the most impactful because I want a medical career. It's demonstrating something I would love to do," La Londe explained.
Students are outfitted with hard hats, steel-toed boots, and other personal protective equipment. Over 150 students from southern to northern Maine are participating in the program.
"If I could engage 75 new people into construction careers that's a success," Kelly Flagg, executive director of the Associated of General Contractors of Maine, enthused.
On the last day of the program, students participated in interviews with construction companies and worked on cover letters and money management. They walked away with a brand new set of power tools and a new sense of empowerment.
"Granted, some might say it's a dying industry, but hopefully we can [help] not make it that," Charley Hibbert, a high school graduate who wants to go into the construction industry, said.
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Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Charley Hibbert's name. The misspelling has since been corrected.