At Bronx Design and Construction Academy in the South Bronx, high school students are preparing to step straight into high-paying careers in carpentry, plumbing, heating/cooling and other in-demand fields.
The Alfred E. Smith campus, which also houses an automotive program, has the same desks and whiteboards as in any school. But students spend their class time pounding hammers, designing plans with drafting software, running pipes and taking apart boilers, culminating in an all-school final project: a fully functioning tiny house inside the carpentry lab.
When these students graduate, they’ll find an industry just waiting to absorb them as it seeks to replace an aging workforce.
HVAC and electrician careers are expected to grow much faster than average, with expected job openings increasing 8% and 9% by 2034, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The job outlook for plumbers and pipefitters is also strong at 4% growth.
During a visit to the school, co-founder Jeffrey Smalls told the Bronx Times that within 2 to 3 years of graduating, Bronx Design and Construction Academy alumni can make more than $100,000 working for major companies like Con Edison and Verizon or local businesses.
But despite its track record of student success, the school has only about 200 students, with capacity for about 500 more, Smalls said.
He said while low enrollment is becoming “a serious concern,” he’s confident that if more young people knew about the school and strong workforce demand, every seat would be filled.
“The industry has a need for people who are mechanically inclined and wanting to get into the construction industry,” he said.
Putting teens to work
José Germosen and Ryan Nunez, both juniors, spoke to the Bronx Times as they worked on a steam boiler in the HVAC shop. They explained that as ninth graders, students rotate through all the trades and choose their top three at the end of the year.
Nunez said he comes from a construction family and initially thought he should try something different, yet he also found himself drawn to that career path. “I really like it,” Nunez said. The school’s senior class recently defended its first-place title in a local trades competition, where many judges come to scout future hires. Looking ahead to next year’s competition, “We’ll be ready for that,” Nunez said.
Germosen said he finds the HVAC curriculum “very understandable” and that he’s amazed at how much he and his peers have learned, starting from zero. Deciding to enroll at the Academy was “one of the greatest decisions of my life,” he said.
Bob Bieder, who owns Westchester Square Plumbing Supply, has taken student interns from the school for the past 30 years and put them to work — with great results. “They’re very impressive,” he said. “These kids want to work.”
Because Bronx Design and Construction Academy is a DOE public school, students receive their regular education alongside specialized classes and graduate with great skills in math and communication, Bieder said. “They really do a complete, full job here, and these kids come out of here ready to meet the workforce.”
Mark Vega, who graduated from the school in 1986, now owns Quality Heating Design on Bronxwood Ave. and remains heavily involved at his alma mater. As a student, he got a part-time job in 11th grade and a full-time job the following year at a company he stayed with for the next 13 years. After 26 years in union jobs, he eventually decided to work for himself, he said.
Today, Vega said he’s passionate about getting young people into the industry, highlighting both the job satisfaction and lucrative career paths. “What pushes people? Money, right?” But Vega also said he gained a strong sense of responsibility starting as a teenage worker. After all, a building can explode if its systems are not properly maintained.
He recalled a time when, as a student employee, he got a 7 p.m. service call and didn’t feel like going. But when he showed up, he saw an elderly woman shivering in the doorway. “The minute I saw her freezing, I said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m gonna start your boiler,’” Vega said. “You gotta have some kind of compassion to help people.”
Diamond in the rough
Jeff Kauffman, a fourth-year HVAC teacher, called the school “a diamond in the rough.”
“We do recruitment, but because there are so many schools, we can get a little lost,” he said. “We wish more people knew about it.”
Kauffman first learned his trade in a Yonkers high school and went on to become a business owner and consultant. But when a former HVAC teacher from the Academy retired, he called Kauffman and convinced him to leave the industry and begin a teaching career. “Four years later, I’m loving it. Best decision I made,” Kauffman said.
He showed the Bronx Times to the school’s pride and joy — a house entirely designed and built by students in the massive top-floor carpentry lab.
Over the sound of banging hammers and buzzing saws, carpentry teacher Kimberly Colón said the project took about two years, from planning to framing to cabinets, appliances, plumbing and more. Now, with one house completed, students are hard at work on another. Colón graduated from the Academy only two years ago and is training for her carpentry license. She said “seeing what is currently up to date” in the industry is a great advantage for her as a teacher barely older than the students.
“Bringing the new side of the industry, the new tools, showing them to these kids … honestly, it’s really worth it,” she said. “This group has done super well. They’re hard workers.”
Eleventh-grade architecture student Michael Hernandez helped design the plans for the second house. The biggest challenge is making everything to scale using a one-quarter-inch to one-foot ratio, he said.
“It’s an honor” to work on the project, Hernandez said. “I appreciate Bronx Design for getting us on the path we want to be.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
