High school students get an inside look at trade jobs at Helena children’s hospital

HELENA — Capital High School students got an inside look at trade jobs at the construction site at Shodair Children’s Hospital on Friday.

“There’s a huge need for the trades workforce and it’s a great option for students they don’t have to go into debt, don’t have to go to a four-year college, they can learn on the job right away, so by getting them out looking at projects like this, they can see what’s available to them when they leave high school,” said Tom Kain, carpentry and welding teacher at Capital High.

Kain says the 25 students getting to see a construction site as massive as the new Shodair Hospital is a wonderful opportunity.

“They understand money and all of a sudden you can enter the trades and there’s no debt, you can make a good wage right away and make something tangible. A year ago, this was just an open space and now it’s a huge project for our community and it’s pretty neat to see,” said Kain.

Throughout the tour, the students got to see the inner workings of the 66 million dollar project, and how labor jobs can be beneficial not just for finances but for the community.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for growth and to keep our students and our citizens in Helena and show them how fruitful it could be for them to move on into a trade instead of because sometimes the college life isn’t for every kid, but the trades are a very good way of giving back to the community and supporting yourself through your life,” said Vance Gehringer, Shodair Children’s Hospital Director of Security.

The new Shodair Children’s Hospital is set to finish in December 2022.