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On a crisp day in November 2023, Ivy Tech Fort Wayne construction students and instructors got to admire several weeks’ worth of effort that benefited a local homeowner’s association. Now, one year later, the bridge they built is standing strong, and it’s opened the door to more community projects.

“The group that built the bridge, they’re normally coming here to campus for a different project,” says Jeff Fair, Building Construction Program Chair. “It was exciting for them to be a part of it, and it gets them off campus.”

A typical day in Ivy Tech Fort Wayne’s Building Construction Technology’s wood framing class is found in the massive construction lab at the Technology Center. Students are tasked with building a small home that they’ll continue work on in future classes.

But this project not only got them out in the community, it also involved other Ivy Tech programs.

Setting a foundation

“When this program came about, I went to the HOA and looked at the other bridges on the property. I decided Andy Bell’s classes should design it.”

Andy Bell is the program chair of Engineering Technology at Ivy Tech Fort Wayne. His students were given instructions to create drawings for a bridge based on specific criteria. Fair got estimates for materials, ensured ADA compliancy, and got the HOA’s stamp of approval.

With the addition of the other programs, the project reflected more of a real-world company. It’s exactly the type of experience Ivy Tech strives to create.

Bridging the gap

Nine students from Wood Framing 101 spent four weeks at the HOA and followed Fair’s guidance to getting the job done.

The program chair brings 45 years of construction experience to his classes. He spent his career building everything from dentist offices to hospitals.

“I started teaching because I wanted to be a mentor. I had great mentors in my career, and I want to be that for the next generation.”

To be successful in the industry, Fair says there are three things that employees need to be:

1. Willing to learn
2. Okay with traveling to different sites
3. Showing up to work

The changing locations of these community projects help the students get experience in all these areas. That’s why Fair is eager to include them in the curriculum.

In November 2024, the most recent Wood Framing 101 class helped create backdrops for Maple Creek Middle School’s Drama Club. They spent two days building prototypes, made some changes, and built three more for the school to use.

The program will use the backdrops to paint over for different performances. They used them for the first time in November 2024 for their performance of the Snow White Variety Show.

Benefits of the trade

With Fair’s experience in the industry, he has dozens of connections throughout the region.

“You want a job in construction? I can get you one tomorrow.”

Employers are constantly on the lookout for skilled workers who are passionate and willing to learn. Despite a drop in 2020, Indiana’s construction industry is steadily growing , but Fair warns impending retirements could create a shortage of workers.

To attract more workers, Fair says the industry offers great pay and good benefits. He says it’s hard work, but you reap the benefits and rewards in the end.

“I still drive past places I helped build and point them out to my family.”

Ivy Tech works hard to ensure our construction students get a well-rounded education by offering carpentry and electrical classes, and eventually introducing plumbing to the curriculum in Fall 2025.

What’s next

As of December 2024, Fair doesn’t have any other community projects in the works, but he’s always got an ear out. The students who completed the theater backdrops are now working on the houses in the Construction Lab.

Those who helped build the bridge are a few months out from graduation where they’ll either head straight into the industry or join an apprenticeship program.

With a foundation laid, Fair looks forward to continuing offering real world experiences to his students to bridge together education and practical application.

To learn more about Building Construction Technology, visit our website.