The Exchange Park fairgrounds in Ladson was bustling with the sound of hammers and saws Wednesday morning as high school students got to work building sheds with the pros.
Among the six schools that came out for the occasion were students from Cross High and Berkeley High’s respective building construction programs. VIEW PHOTOS
After taking a hiatus following the COVID-19 pandemic, Build-A-Shed returned to Exchange Park for a full day of hands-on Career and Technical Education and STEM education for high school students interested in a career path in the field of construction.
Build-A-Shed is a daylong competition that brings the student together with contractors and subcontractors to compete in a one-day build of custom sheds. The whole idea is to give students a full hands-on experience in the construction business and introduce them to the different career paths they can explore in the field.
The event is made possible with a partnership between the Charleston Chamber of Commerce and ABC Carolinas, a commercial construction association; all the contractors and subcontractors who participated in the Build-A-Shed event are association members.
Student teams planned and built the sheds under the guidance of their teachers and the contractors, and the sheds were judged on the criteria of structural completeness, safety, and technical elements. Berkeley High ended up placing second in the competition; the three winning teams selected at the end of the day were gifted with trophies in the shape of a hammer.
Zach Ward, project manager with Miller Valentine Construction and one of the lead organizers of the event, said the whole idea behind the event is to create a workforce development initiative to introduce students to careers and opportunities in the construction industry.
“In addition to just building the sheds, we go into the classrooms and meet with the students, and talk about the different career paths,” he said.
Ward said it is also a great networking opportunity for the students; in previous years, some of them have gotten jobs lined up from meeting contractors.
Features of the sheds included a door opening, with a pair of six-panel exterior metal doors; vinyl windows; and an unpainted exterior.
General contractors put the floors to the sheds together the night prior, and then the students built on the fairgrounds from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. The schools started off with a safety meeting and then took off building. General contractors and subcontractors, as well as the teachers, were allowed to provide guidance to the students, but the students were doing all the hands-on work with tools (other than the saws). Baker Roofing Company provided the roofs. The sheds stand at roughly 9’9” at the roof’s peak. 
Kevin Wadford, who teaches the building construction program at Berkeley High, said he was excited to have the competition back after a hiatus from the pandemic; he said he has a lot of “newbies” in his school’s program.
“They’re doing good – it’s giving them that experience to get outside of school and let them realize, hey, this is for real,” he said.
Berkeley High senior Jackson Callow said he and his classmates had a great time participating in Build-A-Shed. He is considering a job in the construction field but currently has plans to go to Trident to learn to be a maintenance technician after he graduates.
He has been in Berkeley High’s building construction program for three years.
“We just have a good time and we’re always doing little projects all the time – it’s just fun,” he said.
Brian McClellan, who leads the building construction program at Cross High, said his students did a great job.
“They’re learning, they’re working with one another – which is very important – and learning communication skills as well as construction,” he said. “Hopefully they’re on the right track.”
Sophomore Matthew Bradley said his favorite part of construction so far has been framing (and demolition). He said his classmates also enjoyed Wednesday’s experience with the contractors.
“It’s really fun – I like doing it,” he said. “I like doing stuff that is more hands-on than what we can do in the small confines of a classroom.
The sheds are also being marketed at $3,250; the proceeds go back into next year’s Build-A-Shed program.