The construction industry continues to face an overall shortage of workers. This is especially prevalent among skilled craftspeople, where the gap between veteran workers and the next generation of talented builders is growing wider. If not resolved, quality, safety, and the ability to build the infrastructure needed for an ever-growing population will be deeply affected. To help address this, AGC of Washington held the King County Construction Career Day at Magnuson Park. The event focused on educating young people about the many opportunities available in the construction industry in a practical, engaging format.

Abbott had several stations set up at the event including a Building Information Modeling video showing the evolution of the pre-construction process, a presentation of electronic document management (using Bluebeam) during construction, and a demonstration of our Ground Penetrating Radar equipment on sample concrete slab. Abbott team members were on-hand to answer questions from students interested in our Internship and Apprenticeship Programs.

Abbott appreciates that the AGC provides the opportunity to engage with young people and share with them the exciting career opportunities that are available in the construction industry.

Learn more about our Carpentry Apprenticeship Program and Internships:

Carpentry Apprenticeship Program

Our program intends to teach, mentor, and cultivate well-rounded, experienced carpenters that will continue to excel and thrive within the industry. Apprenticeship is a training program where you earn wages while you learn a skilled profession. As you progress, you’ll get regular raises and once you’ve mastered the craft, you’ll receive the same wages as a professional. Partnered with the Construction Industry Training Council (CITC), our Apprenticeship Program offers the best of both worlds combining classroom and on-the-job learning.

Classroom Learning

A vital part of the Apprenticeship Program is time spent in the classroom, learning the trade at the CITC facility. At a minimum, you must attend at least 160 hours of Required Supplementary Instruction or RSI (Classroom & Lab time) per year within the defined school year of September through June. This typically equates to a four-hour class, outside of normal working hours, once a week.

On-The-Job Learning

Outside of the classroom, most of your learning will take place every day on the jobsite, working alongside our seasoned Journeyman-level carpenters learning the ins and outs of each area of carpentry. You will submit monthly work logs to CITC to ensure proper tracking of the 8000 hours required to complete the Apprenticeship Program.

Interested in our Apprenticeship Program? Email our human resources representative for more information.

Internships

At Abbott, interns are not thought of as temporary help, instead we consider them to be valuable members of our team.

Our challenging and rewarding Project Engineering internship program involves complete immersion into all aspects of a Project Engineer through:

• A structured program complete with learning objectives, student journal and final assessment.
• Full access and engagement at every level.
• Educational opportunities encompassing project management, problem solving, oral and written communications, teamwork and leadership, time management and organization.
• Hands-on project experience from start to finish on various small projects.

Interested in an Internship? Apply using our Application for Employment form.