Joe Royle – Construction Co-Op

My name is Joe Royle and I am currently enrolled in the Cooperative Education program at Garden Spot High School. Due to my step ahead in my academics, I can attend school for the first half of the day and go to work during the second half. After hearing about this program, I felt I needed to become a part of it because it would be far more beneficial to me than taking some random elective classes to consume time. I also believe it will help me narrow down and focus on a direction I want my life to go in terms of a career.

For my job, I am an apprentice/laborer at my father’s plumbing company, Royle Plumbing. I have been able to blend different tasks within the job throughout this program. In other words, I could be on the job site building plumbing systems and moving material, or I could be in the office creating invoices for customers and organizing bills and expenses.

Overall, the diverse opportunities I have had within the business have allowed me to reflect upon what I want to do with my future. Recently, I have become interested in business management and plan to attend college at Shippensburg University for that degree. However, the business in which I would like to pursue with that degree is still unclear. I have had many ideas, such as taking over or helping run my father’s company or expanding the company by studying HVAC/R. Now, I have been contemplating landscaping or some other trade I enjoy. All these goals tie into owning my own business or being a high-ranking official somewhere, but the trade is still unclear.

In conclusion, taking this class has been very beneficial to me. I have learned a lot about the working world and the trade industry. I have also learned things about what it takes to run a business and have discovered my own interests as a result. This has given me a sense of direction and a path to take moving forward into my future, and I would highly recommend the course for anyone who needs a helping hand in something like this.