Garrett German – Concrete Co-Op

I am a student in the Pathways2Success Cooperative Education course where we learn job skills and work towards reaching our future career goals. Currently, I am working at High Concrete Group in Denver, Pennsylvania. I also worked there over the summer of 2016.

At High Concrete, I have many job duties, but some of the big ones would be pouring the concrete into the forms, running the sweeper through the building so we can keep it clean, and pulling quarter inch and half inch steel cable for the forms so the set-up crew can stress the forms. All the pieces that I pour in my building are for parking garages, but in the other building, they produce architectural pieces. Currently, they are pouring pieces for the Statue of Liberty Museum. One of the biggest challenges that I have faced and still deal with at work is the language barrier because I work with a lot of Spanish speaking guys that speak very little English which makes it hard to communicate. Since I have been at High Concrete there have been a lot of things that I have learned how to do. Some of the big ones are learning how to read blueprints when I was on the set-up crew and learning the entire process of pouring concrete.

My future career goals for after high school is to become a Journeyman Lineman. To become a Journeyman Lineman, you must go through a 7-step apprenticeship that takes about 3-4 years to complete. While going through the process you must complete bookwork, tests, and must have so many hours of “hot time.” Hot time is when you are working on or around anything that is still energized. To get into the apprenticeship, you must go through your local IBEW union hall. While becoming a Journeyman Lineman they will teach you everything you need to know, including transmission and substation, underground, and distribution.

The reason for me wanting to get into this field of work is because both my dad and brother are Journeyman Lineman. Another reason would be that the money is good and I would be able to live comfortably. Through the activities and job tours in the Pathways2Success Cooperative Education class, I hope to achieve this goal.