Joy Walczak (JW): Welcome to the Your Dream Is Our Dream podcast where we celebrate student success one dream at a time. This program is made possible by Kent ISD in partnership with WGVU. I'm Joy Walczak. And today, I'm joined by Billie Beresford, a graduate of CA Frost in Grand Rapids Public Schools, and now an employee at First Cut Millwork, a division of Rockford Construction, where we're having our conversation today. Also joining us is Jen Schottke, President of West Michigan Construction Institute, where Billie spent part of senior year gaining skills that led them to where we are today. Thanks to both of you for joining us today.
Billie Beresford (BB): Thanks for having us.
Jen Schottke (JS): Yeah, absolutely.
JW: We're so glad to have you here. And Billie, I just want to start by saying congratulations. You have a terrific job here. Can you share with us what you do, the work that you're doing, and how you found this opportunity?
BB: So what I'm doing currently is a lot of cabinet assembly. So pulling pieces off the CNC machine, basically a giant drill that cuts out pieces, and then just sticking those together, doing a little bit of finishing and laminate, just kind of putting my fingers in all the pots and trying to figure out where I land.
JW: And how did you end up in this position?
BB: I found out about First Cut from a tour at WMCI. I went there in my senior year their Carpentry One program. And as part of that program, we went on tours to a lot of different sites, tried to figure out what construction and all its applications looks like in the real world. So I remember touring here and I just fell in love with the way that the shop was set up, the work that they were doing, the artistry and the attention to detail that comes with cabinetry. And I just really saw myself working here and later I said you know it's time, so I applied and here I am.
JW: Well congratulations again. Ms. Schottke, the experience Billie describes is actually growing. Can you tell us about your vision for educating students from the start and how your program is expanding?
JS: Yeah, I am so proud of where the West Michigan Construction Institute has come in just two and a half years of operation. We came to be because an industry came together and united on a shared problem and that was the future of their workforce. So 158 construction companies donated to start WMCI, all with a hope and a vision for students like Billie, who would use our pathway to learn skills and be able to apply those skills to a career and make their dreams come true. So today we have 53 high school students in our program. We've grown from carpentry, like Billie attended, to now offering electrical and we we're not stopping there We're gonna keep growing.
JW: And you partner with many schools throughout our district and also students who attend homeschool programs and other programs. Can you share with us those relationships?
JS: Absolutely. You know in the beginning it was, you know, it was a lot of social capital at its finest. We had a few school districts that a few of us on staff knew and they took a chance on us really sending students the first time around. But from there with our success and student success, the brand grew. And cue Kent ISD! So just last year we were able to grow our program into a state approved Career and Tech Ed program. Now we're under the umbrella of Kent ISD. So students throughout the county are able to attend WMCI. We have truly made it equitable for all students in our county.
JW: That's wonderful. And I understand there's quite a need in this industry. Can you share with us more about that?
JS: Absolutely. If you answer the phones at WMCI, you would talk to construction companies calling and asking if we have any talent that they can talk to about working for their organization. The data says that about 40% of our industry is retiring in the next 10 to 15 years. That is going to leave a tremendous gap in construction. It also means that now is the time. If you have a student who is interested in construction, we want them to be entering the industry now because of that talent. It's still there. And we think about skills-based careers. It is the decades of experience that teaches the incredible artistry and competency that we see. So we want students in industry today learning from those experts.
JW: And speaking of years of interest in this industry, Billie, tell us about how you became interested in this. It's actually way back to your childhood.
BB: Exactly. So I grew up on a hobby farm and there was always a lot of side projects to do. I remember when I was about five years old, my dad gave me a purple tool kit for Christmas. I still have the little plastic hammer, but it really just got me started on just following him around, seeing how we fix things. I remember setting up pens in the pastures for our animals. I remember doing a little bit of roofing, putting up some studs, drywall, just trying out everything that it takes to make a home a home. But I really liked working with him, the rock music going in the background, just the little jokes that we'd have and working with my hands and learning how all these pieces fit together to make something useful. So just, kind of been doing that since forever ago and now I get to do it every day.
JW: And how did you find out about the opportunity with West Michigan Construction Institute and how did that align with your schooling?
BB: Well, my dad is actually on the same board as Ms. Schottke and through their interaction, my dad suggested that I go have a tour of WMCI for my senior year. Based on that, I just fell in love with the possibility of learning how to do things professionally. I feel like carpentry is definitely my spot, definitely not a plumbing person. But yeah, dad introduced me, signed me up for orientation and yeah.
JW: Terrific. And Ms. Schottke, you are engaging with educators so that they can share these opportunities more widely. How are you doing that and who would you like to hear your messages?
JS: Yeah. We do a lot of things. This really is grassroots work, meaning that it is oftentimes a single connection with a student or an educator or a parent that leads to an open door for a student to start our program. So at a high level, we go to schools that are interested. We ask counselors and educators and teachers to identify students they think would be a good fit for our program. We gather them together. We tell them about what the experience will be like. Then if students are interested, we invite them down for a tour so they can see the facility. Ultimately, hopefully, driving them to enroll in our program. But it really is about fit. So I think there's a lot of misconceptions about trade schools, construction careers, maybe just CTE in general, that maybe it's not, or maybe it's the kids that shouldn't be in academically rigorous courses, and there couldn't be anything further from the truth. So I want to dispel that myth and say, all kids should have an opportunity to explore a CTE experience and a career in construction because we need all kinds of learners and adults working in this industry
JW: Yes, and we need all kinds of students. Billie, you have a lot of experience in creativity. You're not only working here, but you also have another position that you have through the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology. Can you share with us about that?
BB: Yes, so actually right across the street from the Rockford offices, two days a week, now is my schedule. I hop across the street and assist with the fiber arts and fashion program that WMCAT offers. I am the assistant instructor under John Cox. He taught me throughout the four years. I was enrolled throughout high school, and he asked me to come back and assist with the program. So of course I had to.
JW: Why is it important to you to mentor younger students?
BB: They really are the future. It is so cliche, but throughout my childhood and education, I've been given so many opportunities to learn and to find myself through all these different experiences and I just want that for everybody. I am in a very fortunate position right now having two jobs, both of which I love doing, and I just hope that everybody my age and younger and in the future can find that.
JW: And you also have another endeavor. I understand you're back in school.
BB: Yes I am. I am pursuing my associates in pre-construction management. And, basically just going right now for the degree and the fancy piece of paper. Right now I want to work with my hands in the shop, but who knows what the future has for me.
JW: Wonderful. Jen, how does it feel when you hear a student like Billie talk about how your work is helping make their dreams come true?
JS: Well, I'm a pretty big sap when it comes to this kind of a story. And yeah, to go off of cliche statements, I suppose it's why I get up in the morning. It's why I do this work. It's what I think about when the days are long, which sometimes they are in education and in developing a school. So moments that I hear a story about Billie or countless other students, Gabe or Tay, or I could name so many that use WMCI as a way to make a connection to a career. That's it, that's the reason to do this work all day, every day. And I just couldn't be more proud of our students. So we're just the connector, it's pretty simple. We get to create really cool experiences and it's really their work that gets them to where they are.
JW: Billie, why is it important for adults like us to ask students what their dreams are?
BB: As kids, we don't really have a lot of say or sway in where we go education-wise. We can pick electives, of course, but really, it's about being given these opportunities and these chances to learn about the world and who we are. So anybody who has any kind of influence over that possibility helping us find ourselves.
