In a podcast on Informed Infrastructure’s YouTube channel, Matern Professional Engineering’s leading workforce engineers, Brad Pascarella, PE, and Dorian Maness, GGP, discuss engineering for Career and Technical Education (CTE) spaces and the future of the engineering space as a result of Florida's $10 billion investment and developing a pipeline for much-needed workforce. Matern provides a range of engineering services, including mechanical , electrical, plumbing, fire protection, technology, lighting, and commissioning solutions. The company develops its new engineer pipeline through internships and partnerships with educational institutions.
“With a lot of the CTE space becoming more and more popular now for the younger students, even with trade schools as well, it’s getting experience and showing them what engineering looks like on a day-to-day basis,” notes Maness. “With our internship program…[students] get to see the process, seeing the collaboration that we have with different disciplines and trades.”
The podcast addresses the shortage in workforce stemming from the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. Early exposure to career development is key to resolving these shortages. CTE labs and internships enable young students through hands-on, real-world experience, giving them a head start on making career moves and preparing for job opportunities.
“Building a (CTE) area that is specific to a trade and allows for students to understand that trade and what they’ll be utilizing in the field is critical to real-world experience,” Pascarella says. “These collaboration labs…have rooms where trades can come in, and build, organize, and communicate on how to make a job successful.”
Listen to the full video interview here.