By Jenni Chase
I have been in the glass industry now for 23 years (please don’t do the math), and if you told my younger self that would be the case, I wouldn’t have believed you. But this industry has given me so much: a satisfying and challenging career, the financial means to take care of my family, and the opportunity to be part of a community of amazing people. Those of us who work in the glass industry know how great it can be. The problem is that those outside of the industry do not.
As part of Careers in Construction Month, the National Glass Association is partnering with Build Your Future to help educate the general public about the opportunities the glass & glazing industry has to offer. Part of that education is reaching out to local schools and technical colleges to let students know our trade exists. People don’t know that they can build a career as a glazier, and it’s our job to tell them.
The first step can be as simple as sending an email or making a phone call to a local school administrator to let them know you are available to talk to their students about a career in glass and glazing. Not sure where to start? BYF has a Student Outreach Guide that tells you who to contact, a script to use if you choose to call, or an email template to send if you choose to email. If they ask you to speak? Tell students your story. Tell them what the glass industry has given you.
And if you send an email, make a phone call, or go into a classroom, let us know! By making at least one connection this month, you are eligible to take the CICM pledge and automatically enter into a scholarship drawing for $5,000.
View this post on LinkedIn and follow along with Careers in Construction Month all of October using the hashtags #CICM and #CareersinConstructionMonth.