This month, we celebrated the Reading Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center (RMCTC) Carpentry students. Alessandro Gonzalez, Alex Orozco Guerrero, Wyatt Schwartz, and Cole Shuman (pictured in yellow hard hats from left to right) spent their summers interning with High Concrete, a leading precast concrete manufacturer based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For these students, the experience was more than a line on a resume; it was a chance to step into their professional identity on real job sites, with real deadlines and real teams.
High Concrete’s connection to RMCTC runs deep. Company leaders serve on our Local Occupational Advisory Committee, helping to shape our carpentry program so students learn the critical skills employers need on the job. That partnership came full circle this spring when High Concrete representatives traveled to Berks County, not only to check in on our students, but to recruit. Like many skilled-trades employers, High Concrete is facing a growing employment gap and sees Berks County’s next generation of carpenters as part of the solution.
For our students, the internship offered something just as valuable: a sense of belonging to a trade, a company, and a community bigger than the classroom. Working alongside experienced carpenters, they learned the discipline, teamwork, and pride that define a true craftsperson. They returned home with new skills, new mentors, and a clearer sense of who they want to become.
Community and industry, working side by side, is what career and technical education is all about. We are proud of these four students, grateful to High Concrete for investing in Berks County’s future workforce, and excited to see where their carpentry journey leads next.
Reading Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center
2615 Warren Road
Reading, PA 19604
