Jul. 6—Last week, three students from Wheatland Union High School completed a month-long internship with the construction company K. Hovnanian.

The students were able to work alongside professionals and learn various construction trades on the company's Caliterra Ranch housing project in Wheatland.

Samuel Avalos, Tatiana Hernandez and Noah Zimmerman were the only students to be accepted for the positions out of eight applicants. The paid internship began in early June and continued for four weeks.

The interns were able to work on 13 lots out of 145 where new homes are currently being built. They were overseen by experienced contractors including K. Hovnanian on-site supervisor Shane McNabb. Over the course of the internship, the students were able to learn several construction trades including framing, laying drywall, electrical wiring, plumbing, landscaping, laying concrete and asphalt, windows and lighting.

Construction-based internships have been offered under the Work Based Learning program at Wheatland Union High School since 2016. However, this marked the second year the school has partnered with K. Hovnanian, said program director Dr. Celeste Boggs.

The program was established through an additional partnership with the North State Building Industry Association Foundation. The nonprofit organization provides Wheatland Union High School with legal backing in order to allow minors on a job site, set up payroll and establish workers compensation, project manager Maylanee Ramírez said.

The internship did not require any prior construction knowledge or experience, McNabb said. While Avalos and Zimmerman had done some flooring and landscaping work with their fathers in the past, Hernandez had little experience in contracting.

"There are a lot of knowledgeable people on the site that helped guide us, like the framing team. It's a great environment with great people. This definitely wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be," Hernandez said.

In order to apply for their positions, the students had to complete a 10-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration certification course. This was to ensure the safety of both the interns and certified crew on the job site, McNabb said. The students were also required to draft cover letters and resumes while also gathering letters of recommendation. The interns were selected after a two-week interview process.

"We primarily look for students who are dependable, safety oriented and have a desire to learn a trade," Ramírez said. "The internship is a great tool to get experience for a person's long-term goals."

As of now, the students are all incoming seniors and have expressed interest in furthering their careers in construction.