Philadelphia high school students have been provided with exposure to construction careers, courtesy of the firm tasked with redeveloping the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery.
The event, held at the 23rd Street Armory in Center City, was sponsored by HRP Group, the firm redeveloping the South Philly refinery — the subject of a 2019 explosion that led to its closing — at what's now called the Bellwether District. As part of its agreement to receive Keystone Opportunity Zone tax breaks, the company agreed to provide internships and job opportunities.
“What our agreement with the [School District of Philadelphia] and the city is focused on is providing those pipeline opportunities for students,” said Amelia Alcivar, HRP’s executive vice president of corporate affairs. “It's real hands on here.”
The floor of the armory featured tables where construction vendors — such as electricians, carpenters, concrete workers and welders — demonstrated their skills.
Ben Franklin High School senior Gabriel Bianderas thought he'd settled on a career in carpentry.
“Now that I'm seeing more trades with drones and things that I have interest [in], it gives me more opportunities to expand out,” he told KYW Newsradio.
“I'm pleased to see males and females involved in learning about all of these various trades related to construction,” said School District Superintendent Tony Watlington, who watched the students explore… when he wasn’t moving a hose in a container of wet concrete himself, learning to smooth out the bubbles.
“I'm going to keep my day job, but I did a better than average job.”
According to Alcivar, apprenticeship programs, to work with the building trades onsite, are available to students after they graduate.
From KYW
