The following is an opinion piece written by Dennis Wilke, President of Rosedale Technical College
In recent years, construction companies across the country have faced a familiar but intensifying challenge: too many open positions and too few people ready to fill them. The solution to this problem will not be solved by generic workforce programs or optimistic national initiatives; it starts closer to home, at the local level, with tailored partnerships between contractors and the many CTEs, community college building programs and training institutions that are preparing the next generation of skilled workers.
At Rosedale Technical College, we’ve spent 75 years building our programs hand-in-hand with employers who trust and rely on our graduates. These employers not only hire our graduates, but also help shape the curriculum, provide equipment and lab space, and oversee on-the-job training. This collaborative model has transformed classrooms into professional pipelines and offers a model that any contractor can adapt. Today, about half of all construction companies are associated with training programs in some way, but given the workforce crisis facing this industry, we need that number to be much closer to 100%. And it can be achieved with more companies working individually with training programs.
At Rosedale, we’ve seen these relationships thrive. For example, Tudi Mechanical, which provides HVAC and plumbing services, has been working with us for over a decade, and their COO, Dan Tudi, puts it bluntly: “We work with over 10 different trade schools in the area, and Rosedale is by far the strongest.”
Their involvement goes far beyond recruiting—they hold mock interviews with prospective graduates, open their facilities for student tours, and help our instructors stay current with new building systems, code regulations, and technologies. To this point, Dan Tudi has also volunteered to help host potential students at Saturday morning open house events
Another partnership with Equipment & Controls Inc. (ECI) offers a different model. ECI regularly hires graduates from our electrical and welding programs, inviting students on-site to see how automation and control systems fit into modern building operations. As ECI’s Stephanie Scarci told me, “We’ve gotten some of our best candidates from Rosedale. They come in ready to go and bring interpersonal skills that are hard to teach.”
For employers, these interpersonal skills (communication, reliability and professionalism) matter as much as technical competence. We take great pride in developing these skills in our students and feel that all trades can benefit from it. That’s why our faculty don’t just teach wiring diagrams or how to read blueprints. They model the professionalism demanded by our industry partners. And that, in turn, helps our partners reduce onboarding costs, employee turnover and the need for rework.
I often tell colleagues in the construction world that you don’t have to run a university to benefit from Rosedale’s partnership approach. Here are some ways any construction company can strengthen its own workforce with technical colleges, based on what we’ve learned.
Invite your local trade schools or apprenticeship programs to your operations. Show them the technologies, software and project delivery methods you use. Extend an invitation to your professionals to give an industry-related conference or even co-teach a course. The closer their training fits your workplace, the faster new hires will contribute safely and effectively.
The most successful partnerships between students and employers begin long before graduation. Offer internships, part-time roles, or mentoring programs that expose students to real-world conditions while still in school. Invite them to your workplace or arrange meetings with them and a supervisor. Several of our partners now hire students halfway through their programs because they have seen the value of early involvement and have proof of their skills and commitment.
What makes our associations work is not just donating equipment or volunteering to serve on advisory boards, but true camaraderie. When employers walk through our halls, they know our instructors by name. They see students who are respectful and respected, encouraged and encouraged, not nameless numbers processed through a prescribed education. This sense of community breeds loyalty, and loyalty creates the workforce that keeps this industry strong.
As contractors and educators, we share the same mission: to build things that last. Whether it’s a new development or a curriculum, success depends on the foundations: trust, collaboration and shared purpose. Partnerships rooted in these values can do more than fill jobs: they can transform entire communities.
So as you look at your own organization, ask a simple question: Who are your Rosedales? What schools, associations or training programs could you partner with today to secure the skilled workforce you will need tomorrow? Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned during my years at Rosedale, it’s this: We can’t build the future alone.
Dennis Wilke is president of Rosedale Technical College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, Rosedale has become a national model for employer workforce training, launching innovative programs in HVAC, automotive, woodworking, electronics, welding and more. Wilke also hosts a monthly initiative called “Blue Collar Mindfulness” to support student wellness.
