Construction trades students receive tools to build future
Construction trades students at the Warwick Career and Technical Center were given tools of the trade along with some helpful advice from seasoned industry professionals. The Tools of the Trade Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Rhode Island Building Officials Association (RIBOA), was held on May 1, 2019, at the Tides Restaurant operated by the Warwick center. To promote and recognize those senior students who successfully passed the ICC residential exam, RIBOA partnered with NETCOH Tool Sales and DeWalt tools to provide the students with tools. To fund the program, the RIBOA holds an annual building expo and training event every year at New England Tech.
Building officials helped start the program nine years ago with the International Code Council, which is the developer of the building codes that the state of Rhode Island has adopted as the State Building Code. RIBOA Immediate Past President Wayne Pimental, explained that the organization felt it is critical to have students entering the trades become familiar with the building codes. “You can’t build it correctly if you don’t know why it needs to be built that way,” he said. “It really is a win-win for everyone. “As code officials, we ultimately have a better educated builder and we know we have builders who know how to do the job right.”
Jeff Sweenor, president of Sweenor Builders and keynote speaker at the awards ceremony, delivered advice to the soon-to-be graduates on how to live their lives, including the importance of listening, learning, showing rather than telling, doing it right the first time, believing in one’s self and going the extra mile. Sweenor, a contractor based in coastal southern Rhode Island, is frequently featured on “This Old House.”
Warwick center students honored with “Tools of the Trade” scholarships were Leandro Aldana, Bryan Araujo, Jordan Beaumier, Jayce Correia, Emidio DeSousa Rose, Michael Delise Jr., Joshua Dufault, Jacob Gardner, Cameron Gotauco, William Martino, Christopher Miller, Camden Palumbo, Ryan Pietros, Tyler Scotti and Courtney Trenn.
Read more at the Warwick Beacon Online.
