Rodeo puts students’ construction skills to the test

“Have you ever done this before?” asked William Hurley, adjunct professor at Western Piedmont Community College and one of the judges. “Remember, quality over speed.” 

Gregory Hollifield from Freedom High School then took the DeWalt Quick Drive and began the Subfloor Screw Gun station. He had one minute to see how many screws he could properly keep within marked lines. 

Students from Draughn, East Burke, Freedom, and Patton high schools and Hallyburton Academy put their construction skills to the test at the annual Construction Rodeo. At the end of the event, awards were given out to the top students. East Burke High School senior Caydon Hefelfinger finished fifth overall, the top finisher for Burke County Public Schools. 

Western Piedmont Community College has organized the Construction Rodeo since 2019. Prior to then, BCPS operated its own rodeo for its schools. COVID-19 bucked the rodeo in 2020 and 2021, but the event sprang back to life in 2022.

High school students from Burke, Alexander, Caldwell, Catawba, and McDowell counties competed in various construction-related abilities. About 40 students represented Burke County and more than 100 students participated overall. 

Skill stations included the following:

• Cordless Screw Driving Station
• Hand-driving 8D Nails
• Measurement Station (with tape measure)
• Rafter Layout
• Attaching Flooring with Screw Gun
• Blueprint Reading
• Wall Plate Layout
• Layout of a Stair Stringer
• Electrical Wiring
• Heavy Equipment Simulators

Depending on the complexities of the skill, students had between one and eight minutes to complete the task. All events are timed, but many of the skills are judged by accuracy. Students earned points (0-10) based on their accuracy. The events reflect the most common practices in construction.

This year, the electrical wiring station was only an exhibition and did not count toward students’ overall scores. Outside, simulators for operating heavy equipment, bucket trucks, and more were each worth one point for participating. Students also received a point for each vendor booth they visited. 

“The Construction Rodeo gives the students a chance to shine,” said East Burke High School Principal Katie Moore. “And the vendors demonstrate the level of support there is in the community. It also shows that there is a path, options for using these skills after high school.”

Scott Brackett, a construction teacher at Freedom High School, said his students are thinking about their futures. Knowing construction vendors would be onsite, Brackett helped students write and format their resumes.

“I told them about the vendors that would be here. If they were potentially interested in working for any of them, they should hand (the company) their resume,” Brackett said. All of his students created a resume. Some of the participating students are seniors and may soon be ready to enter the workforce. 

Michael B. Daniels, dean of Applied Technologies at Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC), agreed. 

“Our industry partners need employees now,” he said. Connecting interested students and potential employers is an objective of the rodeo.

Promoting the industry, in general, is also essential. “We need to keep young people engaged and excited about the trades,” Daniels added.

Angela Kuper Copeland is the education reporter at The Paper. She may be reached at angela@thepaper.media or 828-445-8595, ext. 2003.