Before you walk into the woodworking classroom in the SEACBEC building, the smell of lumber drifts down the hallway. The closer you get, the stronger the it gets. That classroom is the place where students who are enrolled in SEACBEC’s Construction Technology Program learn skills that they can carry on into future careers.
Within the Construction Technology Program, students can take classes like carpentry, construction lab, construction fundamentals, and M.E.P., or mechanical electrical plumbing.
“There are two pathways in Construction,” said Devin McDiarmid who is the director of SEACBEC. “A lot of our students like to do construction in welding which makes them double completers. We have a lot of kids who have found careers doing this.”
SEACBEC instructor Jeremy Groves talked about a past student who is helping to run a local small business and gives credit to the Construction Technology Program.
“He says that the knowledge of what he learned in here has helped him out there,” said Groves.
When asked where students acquire the blueprints that the use, Groves says that he’ll either find prints online, or use prints that he has drawn throughout the years. They also use prints from other people. There have been times when students have received a photo of an item that someone wants, and they have to look at the photo and figure out the dimensions.
“Someone found some prints on Etsy and gave them to us,” said Groves.
From there, students built an octagon shaped picnic table. Students have built shelves and podiums, and also been a part of projects like repainting classrooms.
Students in the program aren’t only creating things for upgrades at SEACBEC. Often, they will build pieces of furniture to sell. The money that is earned goes back into the program towards supplies. They also take requests and will take donations of supplies and money to help complete projects.
If you’re looking for a sturdy, well-made piece of furniture, take a slow drive by the SEACBEC building and you may see something that you like. The students are dedicated and are well instructed on how to build. They love it when people donate money, supplies, and even reclaimed wood. If you have lumber that you aren’t going to use, give SEACBEC a call. They would love to take it off of your hands. For more details about all of SEACBEC’s programs and student community service hours opportunities, visit https://wsdsb.warrensd.org.
