Inside a dedicated construction building at Ridgefield High School, students are learning skills that could take them from the classroom directly to a career in the trades.
From framing walls and installing plumbing to running electrical wiring, students in the school’s Construction Trades program are gaining hands-on experience with the work of building a structure. The program’s expanded space, which opened in 2024, has allowed students to take on larger projects and work with tools and techniques used on actual construction sites.
For construction teacher Dave Trujillo, the building space has made a significant difference in what students can accomplish.
“It brings us a huge space that's just for this class,” Trujillo said, adding that the previous shop class space would not allow the work the construction program is currently doing.
The building is dedicated to construction instruction, giving students room to work on individual projects and larger structures. Trujillo said the class has 27 students, each with a project to complete.
The program is currently working toward turning its main training structure into a project resembling a kitchen and half-bath remodel. Students will hang drywall, build cabinets and work on plumbing and electrical components. Smaller individual structures, designed for teams of two, have already been plumbed and wired, with students moving on to installing windows.
The class also plans to build sheds during the next semester, Trujillo said.
Trujillo, who is in his fifth year teaching at Ridgefield, said the new building has expanded the scale of projects students can complete. Before the space was available, students worked in a smaller shop where they could only build a small shed that had to fit through the doors.
“It's a huge difference,” he said.
The instruction is designed to give students experience beyond watching demonstrations or reading about construction. Trujillo said students enter the program with a wide range of experience, from those who have already worked with tools at home to those who have never held a hammer.
The goal is to give each student the opportunity to develop skills through practice.
“I'd like to call myself a teacher but I'm really a facilitator. I show them how to do stuff and they go out there and they have to do it on their own,” Trujillo said. “You have to do it, you can't learn it by watching, you can't learn it by reading that book.”
Ridgefield High School junior Matt Dynes said the program has already given him experience in several areas of construction, including framing, plumbing and electrical work.
Dynes participated in a construction class last year, but said the current program, called Core Plus, is more in-depth. The previous class met for one period, while Core Plus spans two periods and moves at a faster pace.
“This one is definitely more in-depth,” Dynes said. “Like last year in construction, we just did framing, pretty much, and then this year we've learned how to plumb and electrical already, which has been a lot faster.”
The class also incorporates expectations students might encounter on a job site and the additional instruction can count toward a high school credit for students pursuing a trade after graduation.
“It's more like an actual job site,” Dynes said. “Like, we have to clock in every day and clock out, like it's a real job site.”
Dynes said that the opportunity to learn alongside friends while developing skills for a career has made the program especially appealing. He hopes to work in construction after high school, with the eventual goal of owning a construction company.
“I get to be with my friends and do something that I want to pursue after high school, which I think is awesome,” he said.
He added that entering the workforce with practical experience could give students an advantage over those who graduate without knowing what kind of work they want to pursue.
“There's a lot of people that just go straight out of high school and then they look for a job, but they have no clue what they're doing,” Dynes said. “But now we have a very good base of what we're going to start doing, which will make us more likely to be hired."
The program also provides students an opportunity to discover whether construction is the right fit before committing to it as a career. Trujillo said some students realize the work is not something they want to do long term, while others find a career path they want to follow.
That early exposure can also connect students with employers. Trujillo said he expects to take about five students to a spring hiring event for seniors called Grade 13. At last year's event, three of the five students he brought were hired.
He said employers are looking for people who show up on time and are willing to work.
“There's not a lot of people that are willing to do the work,” Trujillo said.
Dynes encourages other students who are considering the program to give it a try, even if they are unsure about pursuing a trade.
“I would definitely recommend it,” he said. “It's a great way to learn everything, and then if you don't like it, you don't have to do it. But if you like it, then you have a very good start for when you go into the future.”
He added that the skills can remain useful even for students who eventually choose college or another career.
“These skills will never not help you,” Dynes said.
As the Ridgefield area continues to grow, Trujillo said the need for people entering construction careers is clear. He pointed to new housing developments near the school as an example of the work students could eventually help support in their own community.
“Trades are needing people and look at how many kids are in this class doing the work,” he said.
