Steve Harris, Instructor
Steve Harris Instructor

2025-26 COURSES

  • Arch and Construction Foundations
  • Cabinetmaking Finishing
  • Cabinetmaking Joinery
  • Residential Building
  • Wood Technology: 2D Design
  • Wood Technology: 3D Design

Education:

Diploma, Southside High School, 1986

AAS Cabinetmaking, Gadsden State Community College (1991)

Experience:

  • 4 years US Army as a Wire System Installer
  • Project Manager in the Atlanta area
  • Gadsden State Community College Cabinetmaking Instructor 1991-1992
  • Over 30 years in the Cabinetmaking Business
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Carpentry & Cabinetmaking logo with tools

Architecture and Construction career cluster is designed to bridge the gap between high school and high-wage, high-demand technical careers. This hands-on pathway allows students to learn the physics, math, and physical mechanics of building structures while safely mastering trade tools in a real-world environment.

Why Join the Construction Pathway?

  • Zero-Cost Training: Learn highly valuable, specialized trades like carpentry, electrical wiring, and plumbing without taking on student debt.
  • Earn While You Learn: Graduate ready to enter apprenticeships or high-paying field jobs immediately.

Become a "Program Completer": Earn 3.0 credits in an approved construction sequence with a grade of "C" or higher to meet Alabama’s College and Career Readiness graduation standards.

Choose Your Specialized Trade Track

Depending on current course offerings, students can specialize in specific, high-demand construction programs which may include:

  • Building Construction Technology: The ultimate starting point. Students learn foundational blueprints, framing, masonry, concrete finishing, and basic system routing.
  • Carpentry & Cabinetmaking: Focuses on structural framing, roofing systems, wood joinery, and manufacturing custom commercial or residential cabinetry.

Industry Certifications You Can Earn

National credentials that immediately translate to higher entry-level pay may include the following (Not all certifications may be offered and may vary year-to-year):

  • NCCER Core & Level 1 Certifications: The gold standard from the National Center for Construction Education and Research, recognized by contractors nationwide.
  • OSHA 30: A comprehensive construction safety credential that makes students instant assets on commercial job sites.
  • Home Builders Association of Alabama Residential Certification: Validates state-specific competencies for starting a career in home building and contracting.
  • Heavy Equipment Operator Credentials: "Skills for Success" credentials for operating skid steers, bulldozers, or asphalt rollers.
Credentials Offered
skid steer logo

A skid steer certification is an official industry credential verifying a student knows how to safely, competently, and legally operate a skid steer loader (a compact, highly versatile machine used on almost every construction site for moving dirt, digging, and lifting materials).

What Students Actually Learn

  • Machine Anatomy & Inspection: Checking fluid levels, track/tire conditions, and hydraulic systems before starting the machine.
  • Job Site Safety: Managing blind spots, navigating tight areas, preventing machine tipping, and maintaining road safety on infrastructure sites.
  • Operational Control: Mastering joystick controls to drive, turn, and precisely lift materials like pallets or heavy dirt.
  • Attachment Handling: Learning how to properly hook up and detach different front implements, such as buckets, augers, and grading blades.

How It Works

The certification is typically a fast-paced, hybrid course funded by the state so it is completely free to students.

  1. Online Theory: Students complete self-paced interactive lessons and must score an 80% or higher on chapter quizzes.
  2. In-Person Lab: Students complete 16 hours of hands-on training at a local technical school or Alabama community college, practicing maneuvers and driving through obstacle courses with an instructor.
  3. The Exam: A practical evaluation where the student must successfully demonstrate standard pre-trip checks and operate the machine safely to receive their official card.
COURSES
SAFETY AND HEALTH ICON
  • Safety and Health Regulations is an entry-level course for any program within the Manufacturing cluster.
  • It is designed to provide students with information on the importance of government and industry regulations as well as individual responsibilities for performing activities safely.
  • Students identify common safety hazards found in the workplace and examine their own roles in minimizing and avoiding unsafe practices.
  • Topics include flammable and combustible liquids, emergency egress and fire protection, electrical safety, environmental control, machine guarding, tool safety, first aid, hazard communication, personal protective equipment, walking and working surfaces, and material handling and storage.
COURSES
ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION ICON

What it is: Learning how a building starts from the ground up.

What you do: You will head outside to clear a job site, measure out exactly where a building will go, and learn how to mix, pour, and finish concrete for structural foundations.

COURSES
WOOD TECHNOLOGY CNC MACHINE ICON

The 3D Wood Technology course is an advanced high school elective designed to merge the traditional art of woodworking with modern engineering, computer science, and automated industrial machinery. [1, 2] Instead of just building traditional projects entirely by hand, students learn how to code, design, and manufacture complex wooden items using high-tech digital software and heavy automated equipment.

What Students Actually Do

  • 3D Modeling & Prototyping: Students sit at computers and use industry-standard Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software to sketch and build precise 3-dimensional blueprints for custom furniture, cabinetry, or architectural fixtures.
  • CNC Machining & Laser Technology: Once the digital 3D model is complete, students learn to write the code that commands automated machines—such as CNC routers, laser cutters, and 3D engravers—to cut, carve, and shape the wood with millimeter-level precision.
  • Advanced Wood Material Science: Students learn the physics behind different types of wood, analyzing grain patterns, moisture retention, expansion rules, and how composite wood structures handle stress and weight.

Why It Matters for Parents and Students

  • The Modern Workplace: Today's commercial cabinet shops, architectural firms, and furniture manufacturers rarely rely on hand saws alone. This course gives students hands-on access to the automated manufacturing equipment used in modern industry.
  • High-Value Tech Skills: Combining a trade (carpentry) with computer programming and digital engineering drastically boosts a student's starting wage potential in fields like advanced manufacturing, product prototyping, and industrial design.
  • Career Pathway Credentialing: This course serves as an excellent specialized credit toward a student's high school graduation requirements, bridging the gap between physical construction and digital technology.
COURSES
residential building icon