October 30, 2023
By MEALAND RAGLAND-HUDGINS
Rutherford County Schools
Lily Romero doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty.
She’s spent time watching her father work on HVAC systems and decided last year to try it for herself.
“I took (Fundamentals of Construction) last year and I feel like I found passion in it,” the Smyrna High sophomore said while practicing wiring an electrical outlet in Bryan Pitts’ Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) Systems class. “I knew how to do some things because of my dad and I want to work in HVAC with him someday. We’ve worked on things together at home and he was surprised I knew what I was doing.”
MEP falls under the Architecture and Construction cluster of Career and Technical Education programs offered by Rutherford County Schools. The cluster includes concentrations in interior design, residential and commercial construction, along with architectural and engineering design.
As workers in the construction industry near retirement, students like Romero and her peers will be critical in replacing them. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 68% of those employed in the construction industry were between the ages of 25 and 54 in 2020, compared to just 9.4% of workers aged 16 to 24.
In Tennessee, some sectors of construction jobs have a growth of 10% or more, based on data collected by the Tennessee School Boards Association, with the outlook in Rutherford County exceeding 15% for the same jobs. For instance, the annual job growth for roofers is 22% locally compared to 11% across the state.
“If (college) isn’t for you, the trades sure can use your help,” said Pitts, who spent 32 years in construction before the owners of the company he worked for decided to retire.
Jaste VanMeter teaches similar classes at Rockvale High. A former construction inspector, VanMeter is in his first year at the school and has already noticed his students are eager to learn what he knows.
“To start out this year, we’ve practiced some basics like reading a tape measure, which is essentially fractions. We’ve worked on identifying tools, like handsaws, chisels and some power tools. They’re graded on what they know,” he said.
“The goal is for them to have at least one certification when they leave here and go look for work, if that’s what they choose to do,” VanMeter added.
Tripp Rollins’ family has a background in construction. It’s a field the Rockvale sophomore doesn’t plan to pursue immediately, but he hasn’t ruled it out.
“I wanted to take this class for some background in case I ever needed it. I want to go into the military and have a business, but I have to figure out what I want to specialize in,” Rollins said.
Industry partners such as Roscoe Brown and Lee Company have donated heating and cooling units for students to work on, Pitts said.
“Employers are chomping at the bit for help and their desire is greater than the desire of the students sometimes. That’s where we as teachers have to push them a little and make sure they’re ready,” Pitts said.
Representatives from local companies will provide judges for an upcoming competition between Rockvale, Smyrna and Oakland.
Students in the construction fundamentals class will build trusses, while upper-level students will read various schematics required for wiring, plumbing and framing assignments.