Eric Swenson Dondlinger Construction’s Vice President of Commercial Building, Diane Burris Dondlinger Construction’s Director of Human Resources, Wendy Reyes WSU Tech Construction Apprentice and Dondlinger Construction employee, and Tom Dondlinger President of Dondlinger Construction at City Hall in Wichita, Kansas

5.21.21

Strengthening the Workforce Through Training & Opportunity

Meet Wendy Reyes

While growing up, Wendy Reyes’ father instilled in her a love of building things. From tables to re-staining furniture, she always found herself wanting to work on bigger projects.

That love of building continued despite her working an office job in the State of Kansas’ unemployment office helping people return to work.

Finally, Reyes said it dawned on her:

“I used to tell people a lot about apprenticeships and training programs that the company would pay for” and she decided to put the information to use for herself.

She left her job of seven years and enrolled in WSU Tech’s Registered Apprenticeship in Construction Science program in 2020. Now, Reyes has completed the program’s educational requirements and is thriving as a carpenter with Dondlinger Construction.

“Wendy has an exceptionally strong work ethic and has far exceeded our expectations,” said Diane Burris, Director of Human Resources for Dondlinger Construction. “She has built a reputation as a hard worker who will not back down from a challenge.”

Teaching Them Right

WSU Tech’s Registered Apprenticeship in Construction Science program combines classroom learning with real-world application, resulting in students earning industry certifications and employment opportunities with local construction companies.

Chris Mount, Adjunct Professor in Construction Science who also served as Reyes’ faculty advisor, credits apprenticeship-style programs for reaching correct skills and techniques from the start of a student’s career, as opposed to trying to correct wrong habits in the field.

“It’s about getting the right people who want to learn and who have the mechanical aptitude to perform,” Mount said of the benefits of an apprenticeship program.

As part of their commitment to growing workforce opportunities in Wichita, Wichita Water Partners, a joint venture of Alberici Constructors and Burns & McDonnell, is covering tuition for a minimum of five students to enroll in WSU Tech’s Registered Apprenticeship in Construction Science program for the upcoming fall 2021 cohort. These students will work in the Wichita area, including on site at Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility under the supervision of a construction mentor with one of the project’s partners. CAS Constructors, Dondlinger Construction and Wildcat have all agreed to serve as sponsors for this year’s program.

“Dondlinger Construction is leading the way to help grow Wichita’s construction workforce. We’re proud to have them as a partner on this project and their commitment to workforce development is an asset to the construction industry and to the City of Wichita,” shared Ron Coker, Senior Vice President, Burns & McDonnell and project sponsor of Wichita Water Partners. “We also hope that Wendy will soon be on-site helping construct Wichita’s new Northwest Water Facility for future generations of Wichitans.”

Apprenticeship candidates must be at least 18 years-old, hold a high school diploma or GED at the start of the apprenticeship and be willing to work on a construction site while also actively engaging in classroom sessions. Get more information on how to apply.

Learn and Grow

Reyes, who was recognized by the City of Wichita as part of National Public Works Week, said the experience has been extremely positive for her career and serves as an example to her children, 12-year-old Jay and 7-year-old Theya, that it’s always important to learn and grow.

She looks forward to continuing to be exposed to a wide variety of tasks to determine what, within the industry, interests her most.

“Every job site is different and that’s the hardest thing – going from one job site to another job site when you don’t know where to park, or where to eat lunch, and learning a whole new superintendent,” she said. “But most of them show me where I’m supposed to go and what I’m supposed to do and I’m the type where if I don’t know, I’m going to figure it out by observing and asking questions.”

That go-getter attitude is what brought Burris, of Dondlinger Construction near tears, when she described how pleased the company is with Reyes’ performance.

“I am very proud of her, as the Human Resources Director and as a woman in the industry,” Burris said.