Vallejo High School Upgrades Construction Pathway Program
- Paxton/Patterson Educator Network
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Vallejo High School students are gaining practical experience for the future through Paxton/Patterson Construction Career Labs, offered to multiple grades to support the school’s Construction and Building Trades pathway.
Through lab-based activities, students explore the tools, processes, and problem-solving skills used in the construction industry while gaining a better understanding of the opportunities available after high school.
The Vallejo High School construction lab is a site where students are gaining hands-on, real-world construction experience in and out of the classroom.
"The school’s Construction & Building Trades Pathway Program allows students the opportunity to work on real community-based projects — like the construction of sheds, stage walls, and garden furniture — to gain skills and benefit the broader community."
Lori Brown
Vallejo High School Construction & Building Trades Pathway Program Head
With the introduction of Paxton/Patterson Construction Career Labs, students learned how to safely operate tools and machinery while building foundational skills in construction-related modules such as surveying, masonry, drywall installation, framing, electrical wiring, concrete, project estimation, and blueprint reading.
Scattered throughout the lab are practice stations. Drilling, where students can practice “driving” nails into wood, cement-laying, where they learn to mix and properly pour, electrical wiring trainers, and even models meant to teach students how to construct walls, doors, and roof framing.
The infrastructure students use to learn is even student-constructed.
Wall-to-wall are student-constructed work benches, tables, and shelving for tools, triangular rulers, and hard hats — all of which are meticulously labeled to give credit where it’s due.
As demand continues for skilled workers, programs like Construction & Building Trades Pathways can help students discover their career preferences.
Construction Career Labs prepare students for careers in the construction industry with flexible, device-friendly instruction featuring industry experts, real-world tools, and career exploration. Students develop essential skills using industry-standard equipment through a program approved by both NAF and the University of California A-G system.
Information provided by: Vallejo High School
Vallejo, CA
