Construction

On a warm summer day in July, a group of Residential Building Construction students could be found perched on the roof of a home they had built from the ground up. It’s not your typical classroom setting, but it perfectly reflects the hands-on approach that defines the program.   Students begin by learning concepts in the classroom, practice those skills in the shop and then apply them on a full-scale home build.

Jacob (Jake) Sterns’ interest in construction began early. At six years old, he could often be found in the backyard sandbox, refusing to leave until his latest project was properly built. After working in agriculture and landscaping throughout high school, Jake traded the fields and hills of Wisconsin for the mountains of Wyoming. While working

Ben Fouts was running his own home construction company when an FVTC job posting kept catching his eye. He finally decided to go for it and now, two years later, is a full-time faculty member in the Residential Building Construction program. And while he loved having his own business, he’s found that working with students

Construction isn’t always about straight and square. Thanks to an industry donation, Construction Management Technology (CMT) students are working with specialized materials designed to bend and curve. Flex-Ability Concepts donated multiple pieces of flexible metal framing and arch components often used in commercial construction. With the donated materials, students practice creating curved walls, soffits, ceilings

Career Program: Construction Management Technology (CMT)Originally From: Ida, MICurrent Residence: New LondonYear Started at FVTC: 2024 Why did you choose this career program? I grew up with dirt under my nails and a deep appreciation for working with my hands, building everything from decks to sheds, because I find it grounding to create something tangible. While

There are more than 141,000 construction-related jobs in Wisconsin, with many of them supporting the residential construction industry.   One could argue that no workers are more prepared to enter the workforce than students who graduate from FVTC’s Residential Building Construction program. Students are working with tools within the first week of class, and they build

Career Program: Residential Building and ConstructionOriginally From: NeenahCurrent Residence: NeenahYear Started at FVTC: 2025 Why did you choose this career program? I enjoy hands on work and using problem solving skills on a daily basis. Home building has always been something that I found a great amount of interest in whether it would be working for someone else or even building

This year, 104 construction and industrial apprentices at Fox Valley Technical College received Tools of the Trade scholarships from Ascendium.

President Dr. Chris Matheny joins WHBY’s Focus on Careers with Hayley Tenpas to discuss enrollment trends, new programs at the college, what employers seek in graduates and the intriguing question of how the college is adapting to the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. Dr. Matheny shares that FVTC is constantly evolving to