Roanoke Catholic School is helping some students train for jobs in the building trades. This summer, the school is getting some help in return. Recent graduate James Cleveland and rising senior Oakley King are using the skills they’ve acquired to get the campus ready for the new school year.
Since June, James has been volunteering a couple of times a week; Roanoke Catholic pays Oakley to come in about four times a week. The work has included power-washing school buses, fixing cabinet drawers, and painting classrooms.
The day after Independence Day, both young men were rolling periwinkle blue paint on the walls of an elementary classroom. “I get to work at the school I go to, keeping it well-maintained,” said Oakley, a 17-year-old Salem resident.
Both were among the first students to take advantage of Roanoke Catholic’s partnership with the Build Smart Institute (BSI), an organization designed to get more young people into the building trades, including construction, electrical installation and plumbing.
It was set up by Gary Feazell, the owner of F&S Building Innovations, a Roanoke construction company. Students can take courses taught by BSI instructors.
“It was on my course schedule options, and I was like, ‘that sounds fun,’” said James, who lives in Roanoke County. “It actually was a lot of fun.”
James qualified in basic carpentry and, like all of the students, earned an OSHA safety certificate, one of the requirements for any further work or study in the construction industry.
Oakley will be one of the five seniors in the BSI program this fall, along with one junior, three sophomores and a freshman. All boys, no girls…yet. Last year, six students took classes in carpentry and other skilled trades.
“It’s good knowledge to have, even if I never go into construction,” said Oakley. If he completes the course, he’ll graduate with an advanced carpentry certificate.
Roanoke Catholic’s facilities director, Trace King, Oakley’s father, is supervising their summer work. “Overall, they’re good workers, doing a good job,” he said. “And they don’t complain too much.”