When Matt Whitbeck was in high school, a career in the trades wasn’t exactly something that was promoted to him. “It was almost the contrary, where it was somewhat discouraged,” he says. “At the time, vocational school was seen as a landing place for kids that are about to flunk out of school.”
Whitbeck, like many kids, ended up going to college, and eventually found himself in a career he didn’t love. It was only after working a few years as an engineer that he decided to make the switch to construction. Soon after, he and his brother started their own company: Whitbeck Construction.
Now, in addition to running a business that builds custom homes throughout upstate New York, Whitbeck sits on the board of the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition (NCTWC), an organization that aims to educate elementary, middle and high school students about career opportunities in the trades. The work NCTWC does is crucial: Everyone’s heard about the labor shortages that have resulted in project delays and higher building costs. “It’s not only a lack of people, but a lack of skilled people that’s an issue,” Whitbeck says of the current job shortage. “We run a high risk of devaluing communities if poor building practices happen.”
Luckily, NCTWC has seen an upswing in interest in the trades; BOCES programs now have waiting lists, meaning they can be more selective with the kids they admit. “We see some really good turnouts at our summer camps,” Whitbeck says. “There aren’t a lot of females in our industry, but it’s really nice when parents are willing to drop off their 10-year-old daughter to use power tools.”
Whitbeck is one of 10 honorees featured in the holiday issues of Saratoga Living and Capital Region Living. Join him and nine others at our 6th annual Capital Region Gives Back event, returning to Putnam Place at 6pm on December 11.