Through our work with This Old House, Sweenor Builders is proud to support Generation NEXT. Together, we are working to close the close the skills gap and talent shortage in the construction industry by encouraging young people to master the trades that built our country.
The skills gap in the U.S. is particularly acute in the construction industry, with the U.S. Department of Labor estimating that nearly 7 million jobs will need to be filled by 2024. The reason: Construction workers are retiring while construction projects are on the rise as the economy strengthens.
“These are jobs that don’t require a debt-laden, four-year college degree,” Dirty Jobs creator Mike Rowe notes, “but they do require training.”
A leader in raising awareness of career opportunities in the building trades, Rowe founded the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. When Mike approached This Old House’s Norm Abram to discuss the foundation’s Work Ethic Scholarship Program, This Old House was happy to support. As an employer of nearly 10 up-and-comer 20-some-things of our own (including Ryan Sweenor) so is Sweenor Builders!
Meet the Apprentices
This Old House opened its second Generation NEXT casting call in February 2018 in search of two apprentices for the Sweenor net-zero project in Jamestown, Rhode Island. Kevin Barker, local to Jamestown, and Mary McGuire Smith of Tupelo, Mississippi, joined our team and the TOH master crew.
Now you can see them honing their skills and improving their craftsmanship throughout the 40th season of This Old House! Beginning tonight, episodes will premiere on Thursdays at 8PM on PBS, airing again throughout the following weekend. Check for your local listings here.
Kevin Joins Sweenor Builders Team
Spoiler-alert: We aren’t normally one to give away the ending, but in this case our excitement may be getting the best of us. We’re thrilled to announce that following the completion of the Jamestown project, Kevin Barker has taken a permanent position as a carpenter on the Sweenor team. Look for news of his latest projects coming soon.
Stay tuned!
To stay on the pulse of the Jamestown project and Generation NEXT news, we also encourage you to connect with us on social media or follow the hashtags: #TOHTV, #TOHJamestown, and #TOHGenNext.