Training women and minorities for careers in the construction industry
Dawson Technical Institute (DTI), established in 1968 as an academic job training center for construction technology careers, provides students with intensive and comprehensive construction trade and utility industry training. Paschen has recruited and hired several graduates of DTI’s Highway Construction Careers Training Program (HCCTP), a joint effort of the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Community College Board to address the under representation of women and minorities in the highway construction industry.
Paschen’s relationship with DTI has been highly successful: In May of 2011, we hired a graduate from the very first HCCTP class—a student who, after starting his career as an apprentice laborer, went on to become a journeyman.
As well as working to hire more graduates of the program, Paschen is also active on the DTI Advisory Council, providing valuable input regarding training for the construction industry. At Paschen’s suggestion, HCCTP recently incorporated safety training into its curriculum.
Finally, Paschen has been instrumental in the Mentoring a Girl in Construction (M.A.G.I.C.) Program, an annual one-day workshop designed to offer high school girls information about employment opportunities in the construction industry.
Dawson Tech M.A.G.I.C. Program
