The construction industry in Washington needs workers and the general contractors are serious about investing in students’ educations to attract new employees. Exploring careers and gaining essential skills in high school can lead to rewarding, high-paying jobs in construction.
The AGC Education Foundation is the creator and operator of the state-wide Core Plus Construction Program, utilized in 90 school districts and 12 of the 13 Skills Centers in Washington. To augment this program, the Foundation recently announced the funding for statewide licenses to TEACH Construction for the 2024-2025 school year.
TEACH Construction is an online library of instructional materials designed to support construction trades teachers. The content includes video lessons, project builds, skills exercises, assessments, covering basic tools and skills training. Key benefits of the statewide license include free and equitable access, standardized instructional materials, and support for educators.
Together, Core Plus Construction and TEACH Construction, aim to streamline and elevate curriculum resources for construction Career and Technical Education teachers. These programs work together and allow any K-12 (public, private, tribal compact) Career and Technical Education program in Washington State full access at no cost.
Sarah Patterson, Workforce Development Director at the AGC Education Foundation says,
“At a time when schools are carefully managing resources, the union of TEACH Construction and Core Plus Construction will provide assistance to schools without strings attached. Our industry sponsors have vetted all content and are happy to support these resources which all construction classes will benefit at no cost.”
The response from teachers has been strong. By the end of November, sixty-five teachers across the state registered for licenses and the accompanying training.
Adam Shell, teacher at New Market Skills Center and Core Plus Construction veteran, has taken advantage of this partnership.
“At our Skills Center, we serve over 100 Construction Trades students everyday. The access to TEACH has been incredibly impactful for us. My teaching partner and I have consistently visited and used resources from the site as a part of our weekly planning process this year. TEACH has quickly become our go-to source when supplementing our Core Plus Construction lesson planning.”
More information about Core Plus Construction, TEACH Construction, and the AGC Education Foundation can be found on constructionfoundation.org.
AGC Education Foundation is a non-profit serving Washington’s construction industry through education, classes, outreach, scholarships, and industry-led programming including Core Plus Construction. The Foundation aims to develop and promote construction careers through quality education and training.