A high school trade academy and city utilities department in Fort Wayne, Ind., is celebrating 10 years of a successful trades program this month.
Known as the Concrete Crew, the program was created in 2009 to both expose high school students to the construction industry and fill the hiring needs of the community, reports local news channel WANE. Through the partnership with Fort Wayne Community Schools Career Academy, the city hires students from area high schools who are part of the academy to restore sidewalks and curbs that are demolished when utility crews dig to fix broken water mains and valves.
WANE reports that the Concrete Crew has completed over 1,800 repairs over the last decade. The city has even hired some students after graduation, and others have gone on to open their own construction companies.
