This summer, Webcor Concrete continued its commitment to workforce development through partnerships with the Construction Industry Education Foundation, engaging with high school students through summer camp experiences and design-build competitions
Riley Jones, Webcor Concrete project manager on the BDFP project, facilitated a jobsite tour for CIEF Summer Camp attendees, bringing construction education full circle to his alma mater, Buhach Colony High School (BCHS). The opportunity arose when Riley saw an internal memo about Webcor's previous sponsorship of the school and reached out to get involved, particularly motivated by his connection to a former teacher who was organizing the event.
"My AP Calculus teacher in high school was organizing the event, and he was pretty impactful during my education in high school, pushing us students to challenge ourselves and apply ourselves in the classroom," he explained.
The day included a comprehensive safety orientation and project overview presentation, followed by an on-site tour where students learned about the water treatment process. For Jones, the experience was particularly gratifying: "The most rewarding part is watching kids get excited about construction in the real world."
According to Ashley Slovak, youth programs manager for CIEF, the Summer Camp is "a week-long, hands-on program that introduces high school students to careers in the built environment." Hosted in partnership with local industry leaders, such as Webcor, the camp provides students with opportunities to explore construction through jobsite tours, interactive workshops, and mentorship from professionals in the field.
Students work in teams to complete real-world building challenges, gaining practical skills and insight into potential career paths. The program is designed to be accessible to all interested students, requiring no prior experience and serving as an impactful entry point into the construction industry.
Beyond the summer camp, Webcor once again supported BCHS students in the CIEF Design-Build Competition, where students constructed a small shed from scratch. The project encompassed multiple construction disciplines, including framing with lumber and plywood, sheathing, electrical work, installation of doors and windows, and roofing. Students were evaluated on the quality of their work, adherence to safety protocols, and compliance with other construction standards.
To prepare the student team, Riley and Finance VP Mark Lambert visited the school to discuss industry opportunities and various career paths available in the construction industry. Additional Webcor employees provided follow-up training on safety procedures, tool usage, and practical construction techniques.
Webcor Concrete (WCG) has built a reputation for more than exceptional skill in the field—over the years, they’ve become known as our official grillmasters. Now, they're taking their talents and famous Webcor BBQ trailer to the communities in which w
Webcor Concrete (WCG) has built a reputation for more than exceptional skill in the field—over the years, they’ve become known as our official grillmasters.
But they’re not stopping at Webcor— they’re taking their talents and famous Webcor BBQ trailer to the communities in which we live and work.
Cooking for Oakland Lacrosse Club’s Alumni Day
Last month, Webcor Craft President Chris Plue, WCG Sr. VP Greg Miller, WCG Construction Manager Ivan Ramos, WCG Construction Manager Dennis Heimer, and WCG Superintendent Ronald Hanneman fired up the grill at Laney College’s grass field for Oakland Lacrosse Club’s (OLC) Alumni Day.
WCG showed up ready to support, serving up plenty of BBQ classics for OLC’s alumni, staff, supporters, and current members as they celebrated their community impact and discussed their continued efforts to champion Oakland’s elementary, middle, and high school students.
"The entire Webcor BBQ team was grateful for the chance to come out and support such a great program through Alumni Day,” Greg says. "Thank you to Chris, Dennis, Ivan, and Ronald for cooking and serving that night, and to WCG Operations Manager Adrian Meraz for helping with all the prep and logistics involved with making it all happen!” Greg says.
Would your high school self be surprised you ended up in construction? As Webcorians, we know there’s more to working in this industry than pouring concrete and hanging drywall.
But how many middle and high school students think of construction when they’re interested in law, accounting, marketing, technology, writing, or design?
Last month, five Webcorians gathered at our LA office to introduce local students to the plethora of career pathways available at a construction firm like Webcor. The event was part of Ketchum YMCA’s Career Camp, a recently launched initiative offering the program’s teen members a chance to tour company offices in downtown LA, learn about different career routes, and gain insights on how to get started.
Sr. Executive Assistant Agueda Zarate initiated our partnership with Ketchum YMCA in 2020, when we began sponsoring their annual Stair Climb (now a Stair Climb/Urban Hike) benefiting their youth, family, and young adult programs.
“Partnering with Ketchum YMCA is a great way to serve a community in which so many LA Webcorians live and work,” Agueda says. “Some Webcorians are Ketchum gym members, and at least one was part of their teen summer program. It’s always a no-brainer to partner with them, especially now that they’re literally across the street from our DTLA office!”
After touring Ketchum YMCA’s teens through our LA office, presenters dove into their professional journeys and current roles at Webcor:
As an ACE Mentor, Manny’s no stranger to connecting with local youth and opening their eyes to opportunities in construction. He kicked off the presentation series with an engaging overview of what a general contractor (GC) does and how they could one day fit into it.
“I wanted to shed some light on our industry for kids who wouldn’t otherwise know what a career in construction can look like,” he says. “I was really hoping to dispel the stereotype that construction is just for burly guys swinging hammers. People from all backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, etc. belong at GCs! And we’re performing all kinds of roles outside of building things, from Marketing to Legal to Accounting to VDC and much, much more.”
His words resonated deeply with the teens, who weren’t shy about raising their hands and throwing him thought-provoking questions. “I felt like they were genuinely interested in what we all presented.”
Like Manny, Liem was excited for the chance to show today’s teens that construction isn’t limited to a certain type of job or person. As a VDC director, he explained his impact on projects and his role’s emphasis on visual technology—renderings, animations, quantity take-offs, 3D coordination, virtual mockups, augmented reality, virtual reality, reality capture, etc.
“My career certainly hasn’t been linear,” he says. “I was educated as a landscape architect and somehow ended up specializing in VDC for a construction company.”
Later that week, Ketchum YMCA’s Career Camp program managers shared that the teens’ post-event survey responses were extremely positive, including one that stated their time at Webcor inspired them to learn more about engineering and architecture.
“A lot of underserved communities don’t have access to resources like Ketchum’s Career Camp,” Agueda says. “I love that they offer these initiatives that expose students to possibilities they may never have heard of otherwise.”
As the father of a teenage daughter who’s benefited from similar career-focused presentations at her school, Liem was grateful for the opportunity to give back and do the same for downtown LA’s local teens.
“I’ve been having regular conversations with my daughter, who’s entering her junior year of high school, about what she wants to do when she gets older,” he says. “I appreciate those who volunteer to educate her and her peers on potential careers.
“Taking some time for Ketchum YMCA’s teens and doing something out of the ordinary was a great experience. I highly recommend others consider volunteering for a future YMCA Career Day.”
