Building Paths to Success

Doors of opportunity open for high school students like Gael Moreno through HBAGKC workforce development.

 

By Kimberly Winter Stern

 

As the owner of Construction & Planning Services in Lenexa, Kansas City area’s longest-tenured framing business, KCHBA member David Elliott has spent decades in the commercial and residential sectors, building a respected legacy.

 

A core part of Elliott’s successful business model also helps pave the way for high school students to discover the advantages of pursuing the high-demand construction trades as a career.

 

Speaking often to Dave Pfortmiller’s classes at the Olathe Advanced Technical Center (OATC) and in VO-tech programs in the Liberty and Bonner Springs school districts, Elliott not only introduces students to robust opportunities available in the construction industry but also helps educators and parents recognize that college isn’t the only alternative for kids to develop a professional career yielding job satisfaction and benefits.

 

“I attended a year of college, and it wasn’t for me,” said Elliott, who worked in the oil fields until finding his way into the construction industry. “Universities are often tough and toxic environments for kids, and high school students need to understand there are options.”

 

Pfortmiller, who knew he didn’t “want to spend his life sitting at a desk all day,” went to college to become an industrial tech teacher. He came from a family immersed in the trades: his father was a builder, and his uncle was a remodeler.

 

With a knack for recognizing motivated VO-tech students interested in construction, Elliott offers job shadow opportunities that can lead to internships with his company. Gael Moreno, a 19-year-old graduate of the two-year OATC program who got the bug—especially framing— after helping build a shed for the school, met Elliott during his senior year.

 

“He spoke to our class, and Mr. Pfortmiller told me there was an internship available at his company,” said Moreno, who jumped at the chance to learn more about a real-life job in the trades.

 

Moreno joined Elliott for a job shadow day, seeing firsthand many residential and commercial projects his crews built over the years across Kansas City.

 

“We visited job sites, talked about the business aspects of the framing, and the hard work and accountability necessary to succeed,” Elliott said. “As a framer with 40 years of experience, I stressed to Gael how inspiring it is to help create a physical thing, like a home or a business. I told him passion is a key ingredient in a construction career.”

 

That was in January 2023, and Moreno eagerly accepted an internship offer—the first year the Olathe School District fully implemented the internship program for second-year students— with Construction & Planning Services and then a full-time job in June.

 

“Mr. Elliott is a fair employer and has some of the city’s and state’s best carpenters,” Moreno said. “It’s never boring, always challenging, I’m always learning, and it’s given me the idea that I want to own a framing business eventually.”

 

Pfortmiller often checks in with Elliott regarding Moreno’s progress.

 

“It’s very rewarding to see how Gael grew in the classroom and is now maturing under David, learning new skills, having the room to dream and work toward a goal,” he said. “David is an invaluable resource and asset to the VO-tech program.”

 

Moreno’s mother, Perla Luna, couldn’t be prouder of her son and is grateful for the OATC program and the KCHBA’s workforce development program that introduced him to Elliott.

 

“He definitely took a turn in his life, as at that time Gael was very disoriented about which direction to take,” Luna said. “When he found the opportunity to join OATC, he discovered his passion. Mr. Elliott’s internship encouraged my son as he realized that what he learned in OATC could be applied in the real world, and that definitely boosted his self-esteem and, therefore, self-confidence.

 

“It fills me with pride to see that my son has found his excitement for a career and has also become a person with constant goals. I firmly believe that this is crucial for young people today, as many lack goals and waste time.”

 

Pfortmiller, who traces Moreno’s launch into a construction career from classroom to internship to being hired by Elliott, anticipates having the aspiring business owner speak to his Olathe VO-tech classes one day.

 

“Peer-to-peer mentoring is often when the ‘aha moment’ happens, as kids realize someone not much older has success and is making a good living,” he said. “It’s a full-circle experience that builds lifetime careers.”

 

Elliott is thrilled to be part of KCHBA’s next-generation workforce movement as an advocate for the trades and points to Moreno as a highly motivated and focused protégé of its efforts.

 

“I consider my involvement as an investment in not only my company but the industry’s future,” he said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay informed by subscribing to our latest posts