As V3 constructs a sport center, it introduces youth to the building trades
Ri’Kiyah Cotton’s summer just may turn into a construction career. Photo by David Pierini
By David Pierini, Editor
Ri’Kiyah Cotton, 16, had little chance to plan out her summer. Her mother had already signed her up for a crash course in the construction business.
V3 Sports, which is building a North Minneapolis complex that will feature two swimming pools, wanted to expose individuals ages 16-22 with a paying program that would expose them to the many professions involved in the construction of the sports center.
Eight were selected for V3’s Discovery Project and met with architects, furniture vendors, project managers, and construction supervisors to get a taste of the variety of career pathways meeting at the corner of Lyndale and Plymouth avenues.
Much to Ri’Kiyah’s discovery, she would like to pursue a job in construction after high school.
“This is not building Legos. You’re building real buildings, you’re building really public spaces for people to be in,” she said. “I want to be part of this. I have to change my plans a bit.”
Erika Binger, a Twin Cities philanthropist, triathlete and youth worker, founded V3 Sports as a way to expose Northside kids to running, cycling and swimming. In creating a sports center, which will include an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a training pool, Binger also saw the potential in the center providing jobs to the neighborhood.
If Ri'Kiyah is an indicator, the Discovery Project could change a few life trajectories. Many of the companies involved in the construction of the sports center, including LSE Architects, TRI-Construction and RJM Construction are giving the project participants a front-row seat to every aspect of a major construction project.
But the Discovery Project covered more than nuts and bolts. Program leaders helped participants figure out goals, skills and interests. They not only learned the building trades but spent time learning health and wellness, including yoga, talking to a therapist and a personal training session, to understand the importance of taking care of the mind and body to meet the physical demands of the job.
They spent four weeks reporting on-site with the different companies before delving into personal projects where each person identified a community need and presented projects that could be built.
“We talk about not what I want to be when I grow as much as who I am? How does this impact the type of life I want to have?” said Tamira McLaughlin, who oversees Project Discovery. “It’s not just a matter of telling people this is out there, You have to show them and give them opportunities to see if it’s something they like.“
Tatiana Murphy, project manager for RJM Construction, said she and TRI- Construction’s Calvin Littlejohn have been trying to find ways to introduce young people to the field.
“We have an aging workforce,” she said. “There’s not a lot of young people coming in, not a lot of females coming in. It’s exciting to get this population interested in construction.
“Like Ri’Kiyah said she would never have thought about going into construction, but there she learns there’s like 20 different jobs, plus there are all the different trades you can be a part of. The opportunities are endless.”