High School Student
Interns Take on the Building Trades
Organized Labor
August 2009
Henry Gee
Right now I'm doing RFIs, requests for information. If the contractor finds something that is wrong or unclear in the blueprints, they send inquiries to the architect. I'm going through the answers and writing them down on the blueprints. I've gone through hundreds of them and it’s taking days. I don't like writing, but it has to be done by someone eventually. Some of the mistakes seem small, but they can also be major. They are fun to look at. A wall is supposed to be nine feet, but they put down eight feet. That’s a big deal for construction people.
The program’s been really fun, especially walking onto construction sites and seeing how things are really made. It's really given me a good sense of what it takes to build something. There are so many little details that go into it.
I wouldn’t want to do project management. It's too much work. But I could see myself as a foreman, or doing hands-on work. It all looks pretty exciting. It's nice seeing samples of each of the trades. They are all so unique.
After I finish the program I’m going to take a long rest, and then catch up on my homework, and get ready for college.
My dad was a postal worker before he retired, and mom worked at a chocolate factory. My dad likes to think he can fix things around the house, but after he starts a project, one of my relatives in the trades finishes it up.