Building Success in SE Idaho

School is ideally a place where students acquire the skills they will need to make them successful throughout the rest of their lives.  While that includes many concepts that can seem abstract at the time—critical thinking, analysis, group work, organization, problem solving, geometry—the Construction Combine gives students a way to directly see those concepts in action as they work together to construct a set of sheds which are then presented to Idaho veterans. 

The Combine, spearheaded by the Continuing Education Workforce Training (CEWT) program at Idaho State University, is made of a large number of moving parts, including contractors, sponsors, leaders, volunteers, businesses, and students.  This year, a number of those essential parts came from Soda Springs, along with other schools in Southeast Idaho.  North Gem attended the Combine alongside Soda last year, but this year’s event coincided with the FFA Convention, though Bancroft’s students are planning their own replacement build soon.  

There are two main goals for the Combine, according to its organizers—to honor veterans, and to provide an opportunity for students considering entering into the construction field to get hands-on experience with the processes and skills involved.  Over the past years, it has also been a rare chance for interested students to make connections with potential employers looking for motivated and interested potential employees.

SSHS instructor Alan Erickson, who brought a number of students to the Combine from Soda Springs along with Scott Evans, explained that many of his students had already spoken to potential employers on site.  “One of our students was just offered a job doing concrete this summer.  I know that they’ve had welding over here in the past, and we had two kids offered jobs the same day they were welding—one of them has his own business now building handrails, so it’s been great for us.”

During the first day of the combine, students rotate through a series of stations where they get some hands-on experience with a variety of construction tasks, including operating equipment, pouring concrete, flooring, roofing, and so on.  The sessions work like a real-time training laboratory, and give the students a chance to ask questions of people who have been experts in their field for years. 

Payton Koller explained that she “learned how to rip out carpet, and how to replace it. And I learned how to do concrete, which was pretty fun.  I learned how to tile a shower, and I feel like I could tile my own shower now!”

Trinady Gentry noted that even though she wasn’t as ready to immediately start her own shower tiling project she was getting valuable information.  “I don’t think I’d go into it, but I think it’s a good thing to know.  You need to be able to repair things.”

Lily Haderlie summed up the experience for many of the students on site, “I’ve had a lot of fun and learned a lot.”  Like the others, she “really like doing concrete, and the flooring was really cool.  The tiling was really fun, except my hands were brown and black forever!”  

After a stay in Fort Hall at the Shoshone-Bannock hotel, students get down to business the next day and start building the sheds, which were designed by CEWT instructor Steve Quinton. 

Each student was given a bucket full of tools and equipment, and then divided up into randomized groups and assigned a lead builder who was in charge of directing them through the construction process for the sheds.  Throughout this process as well, students had the opportunity to ask questions about the construction tasks involved, as well as network with many of the potential employers on hand.  The busy parking lot area was a hive of activity, as students all worked together to prepare and put together the solidly built sheds that would eventually be moved by Denny’s Towing to the home locations of the veterans’ homes.  

Caribou County’s Dave Pristupa is the primary point person for the veterans’ part of the program.  As a result of his efforts,12 veterans were on hand at the combine to receive new sheds, built and finished by students from around the region.  Each shed is also outfitted with a plaque created by students from Gooding, and topped with a flag pole.  

The veterans themselves represented many of the branches of service, and spanned from a number who served during the Vietnam era to those from the more recent Global War On Terror.  Each of them was presented with a commemorative plaque, and thanked for their service by the assembled group including Pristupa and Quinton. 

This was the first year for many of the participants involved.  Schools around the southeast Idaho area were contacted by CEWT’s Annie Harrison-Quinton, who visited many administrators and presented the idea to them as a way to involve their students in a unique and valuable training camp.  Those who attended universally praised the effectiveness of the program, and its relevance for future career paths.

“Another thing about the trades that’s kind of neat,” stated Philip Paxton of community revitalization organization NeighborWorks, “is that plumbing, electrical, mechanical, those kind of trades are going to be the last jobs that are replaced by robots and artificial intelligence.  They’re probably some of the safest bets right now because that trend is huge and growing.”

Alan Erickson characterized the experience from his perspective as a teacher. “It went pretty well.  I’m amazed they got thirteen of these sheds built in two days!  I want to build stuff like this from scratch in my class, and I’ve got room.  When you only have the kids for an hour a day or so, there’s only so much you can do.  You can get a lot done over the course of the semester, of course, but this is a cool way to do a lot in a short time and see a project through.”

Erickson noted that he was impressed with the Combine as a whole.  “This is the first time I’ve been to one of these.  I’ve seen it, you know, picking up stuff from Home Depot, but on the ground it’s absolutely huge.  And it’s amazing what everyone donates that goes into this.  From Home Depot to everyone else.  They put us up out at Fort Hall and fed us—it’s pretty cool.”

Even someone with a lot of experience like Erickson found things to learn.  “I’ve been pouring concrete for 45 years,” he said, “and I learned new stuff from the concrete guy.  I asked him why he was doing it a certain way, and when he told me I was like ‘that’s a good idea!’

The event is free for students, and has been a great experience for those who have participated.  

“I had kids in my construction class who didn’t want to come, because they heard that at first it was fun, but then it turned into work,” he said. “So, I encouraged them to try it out for themselves, instead of let someone else decide that for them.  And I think by now they’ve had a really good time.  Plus, you get out of school for two days?  You go to a motel and get fed? That’s great!  Plus the fact that you get to learn a bit.  You get to gain some valuable skills.”

As it stands, Soda Springs intends to try to return next year.

Veterans receiving sheds this year included Army veterans Vincent Sanchez, Douglas Broncho, Enoch Houtz, Daniel Curr, Justin Hensley (also an Air Force vet), Jonathan Wescott, Jeffrey Gakkardi, and Tom Chopski; Air Force veterans Nathan Broadhead, Jonathon McKnight, Mark Jeffrey Brewer; and Navy veteran Jeffrey Hull. 

The CEWT team at the Combine included Raelyn Price, Annie Harrison Quinton, Steve Quinton, Shirley Hockett, Nikelle Morrison, Paul Dickey, Megan Cleveland, Katy Dafoe, and Angie Wilhelm. 

Lunch was provided by the Grub Slingers food truck from Rigby.