High-Profile: June 2026 | Page 36

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High-Profile: Training and Recruitment

June 2026

By Sarah Patrie

A collaborative workforce development initiative is bringing hands-on industry exposure to engineering, architecture, and construction students across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.

When over 250 students gathered on campuses in Boston, Manchester, and West Hartford this past spring, they weren’ t sitting through another lecture. These students were interacting directly with the people behind the concrete industry; the engineers, truck drivers, technicians, production staff, and sales professionals who collectively support New England’ s infrastructure every day. That was precisely the point.

ACI( American Concrete Institute) New England in partnership with PCI( Precast / Prestressed Concrete Institute) Northeast organized the multi-stop“ Concrete College Tour” in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration( FHWA) and the Northern New England Concrete Association( NNECA). The inaugural event traveled to three campuses over three consecutive days: Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, the University of Southern New Hampshire in Manchester, and the

University of Hartford in West Hartford.

The format was intentionally experiential. Each stop operated as an open-format outdoor event throughout the day. Students from civil and structural engineering, architecture, construction management, and regional technical high school programs moved freely between stations and engaged in the kind of unscripted conversation that rarely happens in a classroom.

At the center of each stop was the

FHWA Mobile Concrete Technology Center, a fully equipped trailer giving students an up-close look at the materials science behind concrete infrastructure. FHWA representatives performed live testing demos, walking students through mix design evaluation, QC / QA procedures, and the performance standards necessary for heavy construction.

Alongside the FHWA lab, PCI Northeast precast producers provided a trailer loaded with structural and architectural precast components:

students, we were able to demonstrate new and emerging testing technologies, what prestressed and architectural concrete looks like and show that a career in concrete is a skilled and rewarding path. That kind of direct, on-campus exposure is among the most effective pipelinebuilding tools available to the industry.

What made this inaugural tour work wasn’ t production value, it was authenticity. Industry professionals who showed up to talk and showcase real applications, often starting with,“ Does anyone know the difference between cement and concrete?” PCI Northeast is building on this momentum, actively expanding its library of physical precast components and event partnerships, with plans to bring the trailer experience to professional conferences, DOT and FHWA forums, and regional industry gatherings where architects, engineers, and transportation professionals can engage with precast in the same hands-on way.

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Send an email to us at info @ high-profile. com with the words“ add to fastfacts” in the subject line. www. high-profile. com specialty beam sections, architectural mockups, and a shortened double tee. The piece that generated the most sustained engagement was a half-cast IT beam, open to expose the internal reinforcement, prestressing strand, and section geometry most people never get to see. The conversations it sparked about manufacturing, structural behavior, and career pathways were among the most substantive of the event. Each stop had its own moments, from in-depth conversations about how prestressing works, to high schoolers curious to incorporate concrete into their school projects, to a student even securing an internship interview on the spot.

The construction sector faces a generational transition, and while jobsite and facility tours make a huge impact, they require students to set aside an entire day, a significant ask given academic schedules and transportation constraints. By bringing the concrete directly to the

Time, materials and equipment for the events are provided by Coreslab Structures( CONN) Inc., Dailey Precast LLC, Unistress Corp., and Suzio York Hill, Ready Mix. If your organization is planning a conference, symposium, or professional event and wants to give attendees something they won’ t find at any other booth, contact PCI Northeast about bringing the precast trailer to your next event.

Sarah Patrie, PE is executive director at PCI Northeast.