Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides today’s students with the skills and education required for tomorrow’s jobs. As schools prepare students to be college and career-ready, creating business partnerships is essential to building strong programs and curricula.
C.D. Smith’s School Partnership Program was developed to provide needed support to schools to help close the skills gap for kids entering the workforce after high school. The program offers students real-world experiences in skilled-trades careers.
The Architecture Construction Engineering (ACE) Academy is designed to provide students with a broad scope of technical skills. The curriculum is an introduction to construction, architecture and engineering industries and provides relevant course study combined with hands-on opportunities. Through our partnership, C.D. Smith professionals are available for mentoring students in the classroom and on the jobsite. Students learn industry terminology, technology, safety protocol and gain exposure to a day in the life of a trades worker.
Fond du Lac ACE Academy students worked side-by-side with our masons to install exterior brick on a storage shed at Fond du Lac High School. This hands-on experience exposed students to a masonry career.
Whether a high school senior interested in entering the trades or a first grader who loves heavy equipment, C.D. Smith’s school construction projects have a lasting impact on students.
Interested in construction but don’t know where to start? Ride along with one of our Directors of Field Operations!
During the ride-along, students will experience a day in the life working in the construction industry while gaining exposure to many different career opportunities, from our self-performed skilled trades listed below to overall project supervision.
Our self-perform capabilities are a direct result of our talented team members' skilled trade career paths in the communities in which we live and work.
To learn more or schedule a student ride-along, please email Grace Fowler.
Grace Fowler
Human Resources Generalist
gfowler@cdsmith.com
Fond du Lac School District received the 2022 Horizon Award for serving to enhance learning experiences with positive impacts on the horizon for Wisconsin's construction industry.
Bob Barker, Executive Vice President at AGC of Wisconsin, presented the Horizon Award at their Awards Banquet on Thursday, October 6th, saying, "We're taking Fond du Lac, quite honestly, to be our model (to take around) to all the high schools around the state."
Barker thanked industry supporters; skilled trades mentors; Bob Roehrig of County Materials Corporation; Vern Widmer, Building Construction Instructor at Fond du Lac High School; and everyone who developed and contributed to the ACE Academy program before introducing the Superintendent for Fond Du Lac Public School District, Dr. Jeffery Fleig, to accept the award.
"I'm very fortunate to have walked into an outstanding partnership with C.D. Smith Construction (and) J.F. Ahern, who have really blazed a trail along with AGC," said Dr. Jeffery Fleig.
He continued by recognizing Vern Widmer as an outstanding educator, "When Vern started in 2016, we had 35 students sign up. 181 this year."
The Horizon Award recognizes how an individual or organization promotes the construction industry, builds construction industry relationships, promotes future positive contributions to the industry and enhances the image of the industry.
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Learn more from Beneath the Hard Hat® and at cdsmith.com/education.
Beneath the Hard Hat®, our company press and blog, offers an intimate look at the people and stories that make C.D. Smith Construction. With the latest industry news and project updates, we share insights on the superior spaces we are safely delivering year-round. Our team of technical experts provides useful tips and topics to help plan your next commercial project.
C.D. Smith Construction is an industry leader in safely providing the highest quality commercial construction services. Utilizing an integrated approach and self-performing trade services combined with technical expertise, our team serves as a solutions provider throughout all phases of a project, from planning through construction. With veteran leadership and a dedication to our employees and clients, we proudly place our name on projects of all sizes across the United States.
