Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Nineteen students from nine different high schools have built a new home that will be installed on a lot in Pontiac for a family in need.

The house built by 19 Oakland Schools students in Pontiac.

Its the second year for the educational construction project at Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northeast. Under the instruction of teachers and industry professionals, the students spent 7,300 hours building the 1,368 square-foot home.

Oakland County and Oakland Schools representatives cut the ribbon.

A ribbon cutting for the project was held on Wednesday, July 1. Shortly after, the 164,000-pound house was transported to Pontiac, where the Community Housing Network will match it with new homeowners.

This program allows students to gain essential skills for working in the real world, Oakland Schools Superintendent Dr. Wanda Cook-Robinson said.

Oakland Schools Superintendent Dr. Wanda Cook-Robinson speaks prior to the ribbon cutting of the second home to be built at the Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northeast Campus.

From raising the framing to installing plumbing, electrical, windows, insulation and drywall, the students spend the school year bringing the house to completion. When class was let out early this March due to the coronavirus, the schools partners in the trades industry stepped in to finish the job, according to Paul Galbenski, dean at the technical campus.

Students at the ribbon cutting for the home they built with Oakland Schools.

These students have turned a pile of wood into a home that, when they pass by 10 or 25 years from now, they can still see what it is they accomplished here, Galbenski said.

Construction technology students at Oakland Schools take one last look at the home they spent months building which will now make its way to Pontiac.

Students from this years home building project come from: Pontiac High School, Pontiac Academy for Excellence, Auburn Hills Avondale High School, Rochester High School, Rochester Stoney Creek High School, Rochester Adams High School, Oxford High School, Lake Orion High School and the Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmers recommendation Tuesday that the MHSAA play football and other fall sports in the spring of 2021 to combat

A 20-year-old Pontiac woman was saved Monday night by Oakland County Sheriff's deputies after she tried to kill herself by cutting her wrist a

Most fireworks displays, ceremonies and festivities are canceled or postponed due to coronavirus concerns. However a few communities and lake

Continued here:
Building trade skills and a new home, Oakland Schools cuts ribbon on student house project - The Oakland Press

She's kind of a cross between your grandma and an Army drill sergeant.

Shelia Garrett, the lead cashier at Ace Hardware on Rosedale Highway, is in her 16th year at the family-owned store. But this year she's starting to earn a reputation as "The Mean Mask Lady" for her straightforward,no-nonsense approach to customers who feel the need to challenge the store's requirement that masks must be worn inside.

"Shelia's not really mean," said assistant manager Donald Johnson. "She's just the first one customers see when they come in."

Indeed, Garrett is often working the cash register right inside the front door. And when someone comes in without a mask, she's no shrinking violet.

"I will say something," she said.

And word has been getting around. Garrett has become something of a local celebrity for her uncanny ability to make grown men feel like they're in trouble with their third-grade teacher.

What's a macho, drywall-installing, red-blooded American male supposed to do when this grandmotherly type lays down the law?

There's only one thing to do, unless he doesn't mind coming off like a real jerk.

Garrett can laugh about it, but she says this has been her toughest year yet in retail.

The big chalkboard outside is clear: "Masks are required," it says.

But apparently it's not that simple.

Every employee at the store wears a mask for eight or nine hours a day (apparently without suffering oxygen depravation), yet some customers act like wearing a mask for a few minutes in the store isa major inconvenience.

And the employees have heard it all.

"Its against my religion."

"I have a medical condition."

"I vowed I would never wear a mask, and Im not going to start now."

"I might be mistaken for a robber."

And being sworn at. Yes, it's a thing.

It's even gotten physical, Johnson said.

According to multiple news reports, a Target employee in Van Nuys was injured after helping to remove two customers who refused to wear masks.

In Pennsylvania, a convenience store clerk was punched in the face after declining service to a man without a mask.

And there's been much worse.

"I've been here a long time," Garrett said. "Most customers are good about it."

It only takes one or two to ruin your day.

On Friday, Gilbert Beal was shopping at Ace with his 5-year-old son, Liam. Both father and son were wearing masks.

"The way I understand it, wearing a mask doesn't protect us, it protects those around us," said the Marine veteran turned law enforcement officer.

"It's gotten to the point some people are getting out of hand," he said. "Put a mask on. Be courteous to others."

Whatever Garrett and her co-workers are doing seems to be working. Compliance for the mask requirement is virtually 100 percent at Ace.

Down the street at the big-box Lowe's Home Improvement store, mask compliance was only about 40 percent on Thursday afternoon. Even some employees weren't wearing a mask.

Customer Roslyn Atherly, however, was masked up as she exited the store.

"I am concerned," she said as she stopped to talk.

After seeing so many customers without masks, even as the county of Kern is seeing an increase in reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Atherly said the community's behavior is worrisome.

"You don't have to have symptoms to pass on the infection," she said.

These are strange times. But Garrett seems to have a knack for enforcing a requirement that not everyone cares to abide by. And she does it with class.

She's not afraid to give customers the business even as they're giving the store theirs.

Steven Mayer can be reached at 661-395-7353. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter: @semayerTBC.

Link:
Ace is the place with the Mean Mask Lady - The Bakersfield Californian

A: When the wall is removed, it will be replaced with a horizontal beam, which will be supported at each end by a vertical post. These posts carry the concentrated load of all the ceiling and roof weight. This project definitely requires permitting. The permit will dictate that a construction engineer ensure that the replacement posts and beam are sufficient to hold the weight that is being displaced by the removal of the wall.

Q: What are the steps in the removal of the wall?

A: The right way to remove the wall involves prep work, creating a footing and installing the posts and beam.

Whether the beam is exposed is a matter of preference. Some homeowners like the look of the exposed wood. It does cost a bit more to recess the beam.

If the beam is exposed, it is attached to the bottom of the joists. This beam will be exposed when the drywall is replaced. It can be stained or painted to accent the room. If it is preferred that the beam is hidden, the ceiling joist will be cut just enough to slip the beam up so that it will be flush with the ceiling. Ceiling joists must be anchored to beams with appropriate hardware.

Q: What is involved after the beam is installed?

A: Heres a checklist for finishing the job:

View post:
Rosie on the House: Any load-bearing wall can be removed, but itll cost you - Arizona Daily Star

For something so small, tiny houses are tough to ignore. There are more than a dozen tiny-house TV shows on cable and streaming, and entire tiny-house communities are popping up in California, Texas, Florida and beyond. Its kind of a big deal.

Two years ago, Tim Maron heard a story on NPR about tiny-house communities in the South. Around that same time, the then-Life Scout from Pennsylvania happened to be brainstorming ideas for his Eagle Scout service project.

Thethought occurred to me that I could create a tiny house in my area for someone in need, just as they had in the South, he says.

But he didnt want to build a house for just anyone. Tim, who has grandfathers, uncles, and cousins who served in the military, wanted to build a tiny house for a veteran.

Veterans served our country and were willing to give the ultimate sacrifice, only to return home to homelessness or poverty, he says. I felt the house should be created to give back to the veteran community.

After raising $55,000 and working tirelessly to lead a team of fellow Scouts, adult volunteers and professional contractors, the house was completed in 2019. Rich Kisner, executive director of project beneficiary Community Strategies Group, told WNEP-TV that he had worked on housing projects before but had never experienced anything like this.

He did all the work, Kisner says of Tim, who was 17 when the project was completed. It was really rewarding to be a part of to see a young Scout like this take the initiative.

For building a home from scratch for a Pennsylvania veteran, the Eagle Scout from Troop 300 of Hobbie, Pa. (Columbia-Montour Council), received the 2020 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award for the Northeast Region.

The 2020 Adams awards, detailed at the end of this post, recognize outstanding Eagle projects completed by young people who earned Eagle in 2019.

After brainstorming potential Eagle Scout projects, Tim narrowed his list to two ideas: revitalize the public-address system at his high school stadium or build a tiny house for a veteran.

As Eagle projects go, that second option wasnt going to be easy. Tim had to find a location, secure a zoning change, hire an architect and a contractor, figure out a budget and recruit volunteers.

And then there was the small matter of money. Tim needed to raise more than $55,000 to build the 550-square-foot home.

The response from the community was very positive, he says. Many companies and organizations donated to the project some of them found me instead of me going to them first. The project really brought out the best in the surrounding community.

Donations came pouring in $10, $50, $100 or more at a time. But still, Tim wasnt near the $55,000 he needed. He started a GoFundMe page, applied for grants (most of which were denied, he says) and presented at local veterans organizations to ask for money.

I was struggling, he says. The breakthrough came when I received a notification that I had received a grant from Wells Fargo.

The Wells Fargo Foundations VeteranWINS program, which provides grants to address veteran homelessness, agreed to donate $45,000 to Tims effort.

Building a house takes a lot of paperwork permits, applications, something called a letter of nonconformity. And this was while Tim was still in high school, where a mix of studying, writing papers and participating in extracurriculars kept him plenty busy.

I was surprised at how long it actually took, he says. The process may have been slowed down due to me being in school and afterschool activities, but it was still very lengthy.

But things really picked up once all the Is were dotted and Ts crossed. The house began taking shape, all under Tims direction. Like any good leader, he assembled a great team and let the experts do their jobs.

Being the leader of the project was a challenge, Tim says, but it was made easier through the delegation of work to others, as well as the advice from adult peers that had been through the process before.

Tims team included Scouts, Scout leaders, volunteers from the community, volunteers from Wells Fargo, contractors and sub-contractors. Thats a lot of moving parts, but under Tims leadership, all of these different groups worked together smoothly. Once the process began, momentum carried it forward quickly.

The amount of time it took to construct the house compared to getting ready for the construction surprised me, he says. I learned a great amount about constructing a house and what the process is like, from laying the block, creating the base, framing the house, installing drywall, doing the electrical, painting and all the finishing touches.

Building a house seems like a herculean effort, and it is. But Tim encourages younger Scouts considering Eagle project ideas to dream big.

No matter how large of a project they may be attempting to complete, if they set their mind to it and dedicate themselves to completing the project, they will be able to achieve their goal, he says. As long as they do not give up and keep working, they can achieve their goal.

But whatever the projects scope, it should have some sort of personal significance, Tim says. Then all that work feels a little less like work.

Pick a project for a not-for-profit that means something to you, he says. This will make doing your project more enjoyable and raise the anticipation to see the project completed.

This post is one of a quartet of articles recognizing four outstanding Eagle projects by Class of 2019 Eagle Scouts.

Each project covered in these posts received theGlenn A. and Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award.

The award process begins at the council level, where each council can nominate one outstanding project to the National Eagle Scout Association. From there, one project from each BSA region Central, Northeast, Western and Southern is selected to receive the Adams award.

Regional recipients get $500 each for future educational purposes or to attend a national or international Scouting event or facility. Their councils also get $500 apiece.

Next, a special selection committee of the National Eagle Scout Association selects a national winner from among those four recipients. The national recipient gets $2,500 for future educational purposes or to attend a national or international Scouting event or facility. Their council gets $2,500, too.

2020 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award recipients

Aaron Derr and Gina Circelli from Boys Life magazinewill interview each of these recipients live on Facebook. Check out the schedule below. Cant watch live? The interviews will live forever on theBoys LifeFacebook page so you can see what you missed.

Related

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2020 Northeast Region Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year - Scouting Magazine

Nearly three years ago two long-time members of the Goderich Art Club had an aha moment.

Madeleine Roske and Nancy Marchl realized that their long membership in the club provided them with memories and insights that were increasingly rare amongst the current club membership.

As Roske and Marchl thought about this fact, they realized that unless someone took on the task memories of the clubs history and of its founding members would be lost.

Roske and Marchl soon embarked on their research interviewing, collecting photos, and memories, and writing.

What has emerged from this work is a book filled with memories and photos of the Goderich Art Club and its members from 1952 until present day.

As they began this project they were fortunate to have been able to meet with both Paul Carroll and Jean Culbert, both of whom were life-long members who had kept photos and had memories, which they generously shared.

Paul Carroll had become a member when he was a teenager, and related how helpful those early members were in the development of his own life-long interest in art.

Now, some might think that they have no interest in art, or that they dont know any of the members, so this book would be of no interest to you. Yet, think again, because paralleling the history of the art club is a history of post World War II South Western Ontario.

This was an era of can-do people suffered great losses, had to ration, experienced lots of worry, and absorbed harsh news on a daily basis during the war years.

Now in the 1950s they had emerged into modern times. Colour, leisure, new ideas, and recreational pursuits were now seen as important and popular.

Artistic endeavours such as painting, drawing, and fancy needlework, rather than rationing of supplies, blackouts, and knitting or sewing for the war effort, had become very au courant.

Suddenly art supplies and vibrant new paint colours were readily available, and people were eager to try things they had not had the time or resources to do during many years of privation.

Now in an era of prosperity, modernity, and newly found leisure, artistic pursuits would have fit right in.

On first reading it seemed simply astonishing that a group from a small town would simply pick up the phone to ask a well known artist, who at that time was Curator of the London Art Gallery, to come to town to help them establish an art club. Yet, thats exactly what they did.

Mrs. Iona Hind called Mr. Clare Bice, Curator of the London Art Gallery, a highly respected Canadian artist who has paintings in the National Gallery of Art in Ottawa. He was asked to come and help them with the founding of the club.

Subsequently, three lectures on How to Paint Pictures were arranged, and soon, Mr. Selwyn Dewdney, Mr. Simon Versteeg, and Mr. Herb Ariss were all enlisted to provide theses first lectures. These talented London artists were paid $15.00 each, plus expenses for their foundational instruction, and the Goderich Art Club was up and running.

The club has existed ever since, in many different formats and in many different homes. It has now settled permanently at the McKay Centre for Seniors.

However, just because the club meets there, doesnt mean that membership is restricted to seniors, which is definitely not the intent.

Currently, members paint together on Wednesday afternoons, and Saturday mornings. Art Club members hold a popular annual Show and Sale during Celtic weekend, and frequently offer lessons and demonstrations of particular painting techniques. Information on how to join is available by calling the McKay Centre, or dropping in for a visit during regular painting sessions. All who are interested will be welcomed, and, probably invited to stay for a cup of tea and a cookie as they visit.

Some may think they have no interest in art, but they just might discover that their parents, or grandparents, aunts, or uncles have had some involvement with the Goderich Art Club over its long and varied history.

The history of the Art Club is also a history of Goderich, from the 1950s to the present, which is of interest to everyone.

Roske and Marchl have included photos, memories and anecdotes, and with the skilled assistance of Rhea Hamilton-Seeger have organized it into a fascinating look-back at Goderich, its citizens, and art in the community.

You can get your own copy of this book at Finchers, and Elizabeths Art Gallery, or by contacting Madeleine Roske.

Read more:
Memories of the Goderich Art Club - Goderich Signal Star

The University of Toronto(U of T) made waves in the local architecture worldwhen in Spring, 2018 their plan to build the tallest mass timber and concrete hybrid building in North America was announced. More details emerged in September, 2018, when the U of T submitted their plans to the City, seeking rezoning to permit the proposed 14-storey, timber-frame Academic Wood Towerabove the north end of the recently constructed Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

Looking northwest to Academic Wood Tower, image via submission to City of Toronto

Designed byPatkau Architectsof Vancouver andMacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects(MJMA) of Toronto, the project's initial design evolved with an April, 2019 resubmission for zoning which addressed concerns raised by City staff to details of the 2018 submission. Revisions were made to some ofthe building's internal componentsand elements of the projects crystalline massing and building envelope.

Looking southwest to Academic Wood Tower, image via submission to City of Toronto

The plan has since advanced again, with a May, 2020 application now seeking Site Plan Approval (SPA) including a number of minor revisions and clarifications.Again, there are changes that addresscomments received from City staff to the previous submission, while also seeking to clear conditions to have the plan proceed to City Council for approval.

Looking south to Academic Wood Tower, image via submission to City of Toronto

Clarifications concerning the tower's exterior cladding are included in the revised application, specifying that it is proposed with aglass fibre-reinforced concrete panel or cement board panel system in a custom colour in a warm tonal range. This durable materialwith a natural texture formed during the fabrication processis to be installed in a board-like format with large reveals, to evoke a wood-like finish that ties in with the timber themes.

Looking west to Academic Wood Tower, image via submission to City of Toronto

Additional information and images can be found in our Database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment below.

* * *

UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for afree trial of our New Development Insiderhere.

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U of T's Academic Wood Tower Advances with Resubmission - Urban Toronto

The BDN is making the most crucial coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact in Maine free for all readers. Click here for all coronavirus stories and here for the free collection. You can join others committed to safeguarding this vital public service by purchasing a subscription or donating directly to the newsroom.

PORTLAND The stakes are growing in a strike against Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works during a global pandemic as company-provided health insurance is running out for 4,300 shipbuilders whove left their jobs.

Striking workers from Machinists Union Local S6 will be responsible for their own insurance effective Wednesday, just days after three workers who carpooled together tested positive for the coronavirus.

At least one of those three workers who tested positive had been on the picket line in Bath, a union spokesman said.

Striking workers said Tuesday they were determined to press on even with the strike as tens of thousands of people remain unemployed in Maine, and several states report surging cases of COVID-19.

The workers are striking over subcontracting, work rules and seniority, while wages and benefits are a secondary concern. The companys final offer called for a three-year contract with pay raises of 3 percent in each year.

The choice is very simple. I had to strike. There was no other option, said Brad Farrell, whos married and has four children, and fears subcontracting and seniority changes could force him out of his job in the tin shop.

Workers overwhelmingly rejected the companys final contract proposal and went on strike June 22. There have been no talks since then. The company had no immediate comment Tuesday.

The last strike, in 2000, lasted 55 days.

Workers are getting prepared for the long haul, looking at other jobs and health care options. Keeping health insurance through the so-called COBRA program can cost up to a couple of thousand dollars a month. Others said they will simply do without health insurance.

Kelley Ammons, a 58-year-old marine electrician, opted to forgo purchasing insurance and filled a blood pressure prescription Tuesday, before the expiration of the companys insurance.

Hopefully thatll get me through until the team can get back to the negotiating table and work out a deal, Ammons said.

Gordon Campbell, a 55-year-old sandblaster, has money set aside, and hes paying more to be on his wifes insurance. I just hope that both sides will get together and try to resolve this, he said.

Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of Virginia-based General Dynamics, provided a good insurance plan for workers because the union negotiated for it, and that underscores the necessity of fighting for a good contract, said union spokesman Tim Suitter.

The strike has big implications not just for the shipbuilder but also for the Navy, which wants warships to be delivered as quickly as possible at a time of growing competition from Russia and China.

Bath Iron Works is one of the Navys five largest shipbuilders and one of only two that make destroyers, the workhorse of the fleet, which are capable of simultaneously battling aircraft, missiles, warships and submarines. Some of them have ballistic missile defense capability.

The shipyard is already about six months behind schedule, partly because of the pandemic, and it will need subcontractors to help get back on schedule, Bath Iron Works President Dirk Lesko has said.

The union has characterized some of the shipyards proposals as an attempt to break the union, while the company contends it needs to streamline operations to lower prices to remain competitive.

The company hired 1,800 workers last year and is hiring another 1,000 this year, so theres no effort to shrink the workforce, the company said. The shipyard employs about 6,800 workers.

Story by David Sharp, The Associated Press

See the rest here:
Striking BIW shipbuilders are losing health coverage in pandemic - Bangor Daily News

Gov. Jay Inslees recent move to name a task force to review racial justice and police reform set the tone for both a special session in August and the regular legislative session in January. Debates among local legislative candidates over taxes, education, transportation and the economy will continue, but we know now what the headliner issues will be.

The recent deaths of Black people at the hands of white police officers has reignited an old but simmering debate as protesters have taken to the streets to demand change with a message of Black Lives Matter.

Some protesters want police departments defunded, while others want reform and changes in policies. As the protesters gain momentum, they have forced new topics for state candidates to debate: police use of force, outside investigations, body cameras, officer training, chokeholds, the militarization of police departments and how police work with communities of color. While generally considered city topics, state legislators can have a big impact on local government through the laws they pass. There will be many debates. Speakers representing different minority groups, police unions and police chiefs will be in high demand and passions will be high.

As union members, police tend to work with other unions and have a link to Democrats. But their usual benefactors tend to be conservative Republicans when it comes to politics. Police officers dont like elected officials bowing to public pressure by changing the laws, which they think makes their jobs harder. Reform will not be a popular topic with them. In contrast, many minority groups believe they have been targets because of the color of their skin. Finding common ground may not be easy.

The debates are long overdue. They can be awkward and make some candidates uncomfortable for fear of alienating one side or the other. Nobody wants to be either soft on crime or a racist.

For District 30 State Representative Position 1, we have two Republicans and two Democrats. The Democrats are Jamila Taylor and Cheryl Hurst. Taylor is an attorney and ran a good race last year for the Federal Way City Council, improving her knowledge base. Taylor supports police and criminal justice reform. She favors reallocating some of the police budgets to fund youth development, job training, housing, health care and education. She says, these investments have been proven to reduce crime and increase healthy resilient communities. Taylor believes the public wants more de-escalation training for police, more mental health funding and a change in criminal liability for use of force.

Hurst is an active community volunteer and first-time candidate . She has received the endorsement of the Federal Way Police Guild. She is opposed to defunding the police department, favors body cameras for police, wants to eliminate chokeholds by officers and supports independent investigations for use of force. She believes the police and people of color can find a way to work together.

The two Republicans in the race are Janis Clark and Martin Moore. Clark supports funding police, but feels officers who are repeat violent offenders should be dismissed. She says body cameras are a good way to evaluate the need for additional training and accountability. She believes most officers are good and police shouldnt be judged by a few bad apples. She was troubled by the rioting, burning and looting that took place as it became a distraction from the message.

Moore is in his second term as a member of the Federal Way City Council. He opposes defunding the police department, favors body cameras, supports training in race and equity, and supports banning chokeholds while letting our police officers maintain control of dangerous situations and remain safe. He should have spoken sooner as the police chief has recently banned chokeholds. Moore wants to form a citizens advisory board to address the needs of minority communities. As a member of the city council, Moore has already been in a position to make change at the local level. Has he?

In District 30 State Representative Position 2, we have appointed Democratic incumbent Jesse Johnson and three Republicans: Jack Walsh, Mark Greene and Chris Dowllar.

Johnson, as the lone incumbent, will have a platform to act on his views at a special session in early August and can introduce legislation at that time. Johnson does not support defunding police departments. He prefers reforms, including mandating community accountability boards for all police agencies including the state patrol, requiring independent criminal investigations of injuries and deaths, along with robust community involvement and the prohibition of chokeholds, with deadly force as only a last resort. He will support officers losing their commission if they have sustained misconduct complaints. Johnson was on the city council previously what changes did he make then?

Walsh is a local businessman who spearheaded last years successful opposition to pot shops in Federal Way. Walsh is opposed to defunding the police department, but supports body cameras and independent investigations for police use of force. He also favors banning chokeholds unless the officers life is in immediate danger.

Greene has run for office before. He supports the need for policing and is opposed to defunding them. He favors reforms, along with accountability for misconduct by police, and would like to see more comprehensive background checks on new hires. He believes training should be longer than it currently is, and de-escalation should be central to training.

Dowllar is a new candidate and is an electrician. He is running because unemployment is 25% and he wants change. He favors independent investigation boards. He wants at least one trash can and one bathroom per town for the homeless and wants to see public workers cross-trained to do more than one job.

The top two from each race will move on to the November general election. With the Democrats controlling both houses and the governors office, history could be made in an area that legislators usually tend to avoid.

Which side of history are you on?

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.

View original post here:
Police reform sets the tone for 2020... - Federal Way Mirror

A National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Report expects that 3.4 million jobs will go unfilled by 2022. According to the study, there will be a shortfall of technical workers, or workers who are post-high school in jobs that require science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) skills, but do not require a four-year degree.

With the changing landscape, and the changing needs of industry, what role do historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority-serving institutions, and community colleges play in their communities?

Over the past two years, the National Science Board Task Force on the Skilled Technical Workforce has identified opportunities and challenges facing students, workers, businesses, and educators. Here, we look at how HBCUs can improve opportunities for skilled technical workers, and how they can help build the future.

When we think of long-term national health, we usually think of things like mental, physical, and emotional health. But what about our economic health? Studies have shown that in terms of long-term health for the United States on a global scale, the nation is losing its leading spot in growth and development in areas of STEM. As our systems become smarter and more intricate, skilled technical workers increase in demand. Our nation now faces a different kind of health crisisa shortage of skilled technical workers to maintain these intricate systems in the years to come.

For decades, the general societal messaging surrounding the education-to-workforce pipeline has been hyper-focused on getting students into college and pursuing four-year degrees and careers. This type of environment has led to lower success rates, especially for minority students.

These highly skilled job requirements lead to competitive salaries and little-to-no debt in the long-term future across several industries including construction, gas, and healthcare. Even with these perks, we are still seeing a disproportionately low number of women and minorities in these jobs compared to the overall workforce of our country.

Several factors have led to the decline of the skilled technical workforce.

Systemic Obstacles That Need to Change

1. The high school to college pipeline: High schools are typically funded by state boards of education. This funding is allocated based on the number of college-bound students. However, community colleges are not considered colleges by the current formula. This is discriminatory against two-year institutions. On a national scale, 30 percent of high school students who go to a four-year university drop out.2. Student attention and access to resources: The typical ratio of students to counselors in public high schools is 400 to 1, leaving room for error.3. Stigma: The conversation around two-year degrees and job certifications requires a shift. Students, especially African Americans and minorities, need to see successful technical workers thriving in their industry and understand the opportunities for job security and higher-paying salaries to mitigate the ongoing plague of imposter syndrome and income inequality.

The lack of data and information regarding the certifications needed for these jobs and the salaries that are available results in lower turnout.

The career pipelines are the gateway for economic mobility for people of color, said Leon Caldwell, Ph.D. What is unfortunate is that there is no career theory specifically for the African-American experience in the workforce.

How do we overcome this incredible shortfall as a society to sustain these smart systems over the course of the century and beyond? It starts with access to information and resources and economic mobility strategies. Todays workforce development initiatives do not focus on the work skills that will fuel the next century of workers.

The traditional view of todays electrician has expanded. Today, electricians require higher-level skills including the ability to code and create circuit designs. These skills are not just valuable to those looking to work with the major companies and organizations like Boeing or NASA, but to those who can carry these skills into the next generation of business owners and change makers.

Shifting the Perspective of the Skilled Technical Workforce

The National Science Board recommends the following shifts to help increase access to information and resources for students to pursue certifications and job opportunities in STEM, in addition to traditional four-year degrees.

Change the messaging: Even though vocational schools developed a false reputation as a less suitable form of education, many of todays employers are looking for skills and certifications above degrees. Messaging should remove the stigma from technical work and highlight the high demand and higher wages available to skilled workers in the future. Focus on the data: There is not enough information available to students and veterans on the opportunities through skilled work and even two-year degrees. While the demand for these workers increases, the ability to outline the specifications of what is required and what their salary trajectory could be with those skill sets needs to become readily available for the next generation of workers to make better-informed career decisions. The innovation quotient and saving the makers space: As children, we innately become enamored with tinkering and making things from other things. It is in our nature to experiment and invent, and that has been the backbone of our evolution as a global society. The educational system today has placed less value on the creative work and skill sets that were once important to building our future. Creative spaces and maker spaces serve as an on-ramp to STEM careers and skill sets that will prove to be valuable in the future workforce.

The next generation of women and minorities will need to see these changes implemented to be able to access these underutilized career opportunities. HBCUs are the anchors of our communities and hold part of the responsibility to continue investing in this talent and opening doors to the future of the skilled technical workforce. Other major contributors include employers and companies that will be increasingly seeking this talent as technologies advance and opportunities grow. Through education, access to information, and clear messaging, we can support the future workforce in STEM.

Excerpt from:
The Skilled Technical Workforce: Historically Black Colleges and Universities and The Future - BlackEngineer.com

We have 7 Covid blessings, and we must acknowledge them.

The first thing we must acknowledge and be grateful for is the low death rate and sickness rate in New Zealand, while every passing and illness is a trauma, we only need peer over the borderS to see the carnage this virus is carving deep into other nations. We have not had to mourn the way manner others have and we should be deeply grateful for that.

By going hard and going early with our lockdown, we are on the other side of this faster and in a position where we effectively have an open domestic economy. Very few places are as lucky as this and we must remember that when the economic meltdown

With no migrant workers allowed back into the country, we are forced to exploit fewer of them! The Agricultural sector who abuse these workers the most will now need to provide better wages and better conditions to attract NZ workers. The same with the service industry who equally abuse migrant workers appallingly. We need to follow this great news that migrant workers arent being exploited up with an amnesty on all migrant workers in NZ and the immediate creation of universal union membership.

Its not just exploited migrant workers who cant get back into NZ, its also the exploited international student market who are locked out from being abused as well! That means fewer people competing for student accommodation creating downward pressure on rents, and it disincentives the current immigration corruption that allows so many students a pathway to citizenship via exploited work conditions.

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With less International Students comes no tourists (other than those who were locked down and stayed here). NZ has 5 million living here, each year we have 3million tourists flood in. No wonder our infrastructure is so gridlocked! Without those tourists, Auckland feels far less congested. Its wonderful!

On top of the lack of freedom campers shitting all over the country, its also wonderful watching Elite Tourist experiences having to reduce their astronomical fees and beg locals to visit them.

The courage and grace and leadership Jacinda Ardern has shown during this unprecedented event, alongside tireless public servants and public health scientists have combined to establish our collective faith in the institutions of our Democracy. We listened to our leaders, we listened to our experts, we listened to our scientists and we are positioned in a far better place to ride this plague out in.

Our roots were tested here and they were found to be deep.

We should be celebrating because history was watching.

China will tell the world that their authoritarian brutality was powerful enough to stop this virus. That their system of mass civil rights abuse was the only one up to the challenge.

Chinas terrible efficiency and pride would have sent a shiver down the spine of the future.

The UK, torn to shreds by the battle of Brexit, elected a toff clown whose incompetence has seen a public health nightmare, while in America, Trumps egregious inadequacy has seen over 127000 dead, 47million unemployed and race riots breaking out in over 430 cities.

So far Chinas response to a virus which either originated in their poorly regulated wet markets or escaped accidentally from a lab, will hauntingly be the only success story to echo through the annals of history.

And then there was us dear brothers and sisters.

Then there was wee New Zealand, who was led by a young leader whose grace under pressure gave hope to a nation and who used kindness as the value.

In a liberal progressive democracy you cant enforce your will by force, China can do that, but liberal progressive values that respect personal civil liberties can not turn the full power of the state against its own people.

We listened to the science and we lived up to the challenge. We became awell informed citizenship listening to our trusted experts and agreeing universally to curtail our personal civil liberties in solidarity for the greater good.

We did that without welding doors shut like they did in China. NZ became the best example of democratic values in how to deal with strife and woe.

History was watching and we stood tall to the challenge. It wont be China who can claim state violence led to the only victory against Covid19, our collective example will modestly stand on its own two feet on the mantle of time.

While we count our blessings, lets also bow our head in shame at the one glaring damnation on us all.

How was it that the essential workers who kept the entire system running while we sheltered in our homes were the poorest paid amongst us?

How unjust was that pandemic revelled truth and havent we all had a hand in building that wrong?

For shame!

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Read more:
The Top 7 Covid blessings for New Zealand & the one glaring damnation on us all - thedailyblog.co.nz