Hands-on construction lessons prepare students for the future

NORTHUMBERLAND, Pennsylvania — The construction industry is a large part of the American economy, and there are plenty of job opportunities. Some Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School students are all too aware of this. When they graduate, many of them want to work in the construction industry.

Gatlin Levan, a sophomore, said, “I kind of want to get into building trades and maintenance, build houses and commercial stuff.”

A group of nearly two dozen rigging students from CMAVTS got a firsthand look at how the construction industry operates. They visited Zartman Construction in Northumberland on a field trip.

“Hopefully, they will be inspired to pursue careers in the construction trades. We’re very enthusiastic about it “Tim Clark, Zartman Construction’s vice president of operations, agreed.

Zartman’s team performed a demonstration for the students.

“I simply enjoy being a part of it. It’s fantastic that we get to operate the crane, connect the various components, and learn about the overall atmosphere “Alex Knoebel, a freshman, said

“You’ll need to use the signals and stuff like that to help build it, move the equipment around, and move all the materials,” Levan explained. “I need to know this in order to pursue the career path I desire.”