This summer, Andrew Holland, a Tulpehocken senior in Berks Career and Technology Center’s Welding program, put his classroom skills to the test on a high-profile infrastructure project. Through his co-op at JGM, a national industrial contractor, Andrew worked on fabricating counterweight towers for the Livingston Avenue rail lift bridge replacement project in New York.
Andrew’s interest in welding began while working as a farm hand. “I did whatever needed to be done, and that included fixing things on the farm,” he recalled. That experience inspired him to enroll in BCTC’s Welding program in 10th grade, where he developed a strong foundation that prepared him for industry work.
At JGM, Andrew was assigned to large-scale fabrication. “I always like the bigger fabrication and welding or infrastructure projects, such as bridges and buildings,” he said. The assemblies he worked on were approximately 80 to 100 feet long and weighed around 32 tons. A field crew from the Livingston Avenue Bridge project even visited the shop to verify the massive structures fit together correctly.
“Now I know how to weld, layout, fit up—basically ironworking,” Andrew explained. “I learned so many things on the job, but I fell right in and understood everything because of my base knowledge at BCTC.”
Andrew’s dedication showed in his schedule: 11–12-hour days, 65–70 hours per week, often arriving at 4:30 a.m. to begin by 5:00 a.m. He earned more than $17 an hour while building valuable experience. He also had the unique opportunity to work alongside his Welding Instructor, Mr. Derek Lazarus, who spent the month of July at JGM. “It was pretty cool working with Mr. Lazarus. He taught me a lot more at JGM because we were working on the actual project,” Andrew said.
Looking ahead, Andrew plans to continue at JGM during his senior year co-op and hopes to build a long-term career with the company, potentially working in the field on job sites. “I didn’t view co-op as work; it is just everything I like doing,” he said.