Aims Community College celebrates the people who build the places where communities live, work and grow. Preparing the next generation to join this workforce is a priority at Aims.
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Aims Builds Pathways to Careers in Construction
October 23, 2026
Aims Construction Program alumnus, Amiri Ellington, is working with Roche Construction on the new Aims Workforce Innovation Center.
Contractors are struggling to find enough skilled workers, and Aims is helping fill that gap. A recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed that the U.S. construction industry had approximately 326,000 open jobs in the summer of 2026. Closer to home, an Associated General Contractors of Colorado study found that the state will be short roughly 30,000 skilled trades workers by 2030.
For John Mangin, professor of Building Construction Site Management, these challenges create opportunities for people. “What we're trying to address is this huge demand for people in this industry,” Mangin said. “These are high-quality, great-paying jobs, with lots of mobility and lots of options.”
Learning Both Sides of the Job Site
The Aims Construction Management program gives students a foundation that serves them throughout their careers, whether they want to work in the field, move into project management, supervise job sites or pursue a construction-related specialty.
Aims alumna, Mya Rodriguez-Salas, works in the shop at the Applied Technology and Trades Center.
The program combines hands-on experience with construction management coursework, providing lessons from the physical work of construction and the leadership that happens behind the scenes.“Our goal is to get that hands-on piece and the degree, because you're getting both sides of the industry,” Mangin said. “When we have students that come in with prior experience and then with a degree, they can write their own ticket.”
Phong Tram, Construction and Engineering Technology program coordinator, agrees and regularly encourages students to think beyond their first job. “Go get your hands dirty, go work in the field,” Tram tells students. “But why not get that degree?” A credential can make workers more marketable and able to rise to a higher-level position much faster.
For students already working in construction, Aims offers an opportunity to return to college and sharpen specific skills as their careers evolve. Tram said professionals sometimes return for more classes as employers ask them to learn estimating software, prepare for management responsibilities or develop new technical skills.
Mangin said Aims has a “direct link” to the construction industry through relationships faculty have built with regional employers. Those connections illustrate what employers expect, help you learn about internships and jobs and develop professional networks while still in school.
Tram said knowing Aims students helps faculty make meaningful introductions. “We have that relationship with our students and know when they are a good match with an employer and link the two.”
Over time, those relationships turn into a cycle. Aims graduates establish careers, advance in their companies and return as adjunct instructors, advisory board members, mentors or employers looking for the next generation of workers. “They come back,” Tram said. “When you build those relationships, people reach out.”
One of Northern Colorado’s best pathways for young people to explore the industry is Construction Con, an annual event organized by the Northern Colorado Construction Sector Partnership.
Construction Con gives high school students a hands-on look at careers in construction. Held at The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland, the event brings together students, employers and education partners from across Northern Colorado to explore career options, try hands-on activities and make industry connections.
Tram co-developed the event as a member of the Northern Colorado Construction Sector Partnership and was inspired by a simple question. “Why can't we expose kids to the trades and show them how cool our industry is?” Tram said. “A lot of these kids know construction, but they never see the entirety of it.”
In 2021, the inaugural event connected 150 students with industry pros. As it grew, Construction Con moved to The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland. About 900 high school students in Northern Colorado attended this year on October 14.
Support from local companies has expanded, too. Construction operates on tight schedules, Tram noted. "Yet companies dedicate employees and resources to spend a day with students. That shows how important they think reaching future tradespeople is,” he said.
Saeed Saeed, an Aims alumnus, works at Fransen Pittman Construction and helped build the Aims Student Health and Wellness Center.
For Aims, Construction Con reinforces connections already being built through concurrent enrollment, school district partnerships and relationships with regional employers. Students who discover an interest in construction can develop their skills at Aims and strengthen connections that may eventually lead to internships or employment.
Mangin said students increasingly recognize the value of trade and technical education that can connect to employment. “They want to get something that will get them employed and make some money,” he said.
For Tram, the results are evident in graduates who now work across the region, lead projects, own companies and return to help the next generation. “We change lives, we touch lives in a cool, meaningful way,” he said.
