Retired Carpenter Brings a Lifetime of Experience to CRTC Construction Tech Students

Retired Carpenter Brings a Lifetime of Experience to CRTC Construction Tech Students

Patrick Foster looks like a man who’s spent much of the last sixty years working construction. At age 71, his rugged features, broad shoulders, and calloused hands reflect a lifetime of hard work, his easy smile a natural reflection of his enthusiasm for working with the Construction Technology students at the Concord Regional Technical Center.

“I tell everybody what a fantastic program this is,” he said. “I don’t know why more students don’t take advantage of this kind of opportunity.”

Patrick (whom the students call “Rick”) started working with the Construction Technology program in January after being referred by the Foster Grandparents Program, a non-profit agency that recruits, trains, and manages volunteers to meet community needs.

“The Foster Grandparents Program contacted me, explained the program, and said that they had an older guy with a lot of experience who would like to work with the kids,” said John Hubbard, who directs the Construction Technology program. “He’s never worked in a school setting before, but he’s a natural.”

Patrick started working in the family construction business when he was 12 years old. He began by sweeping up construction sites and soon moved on to more interesting work. By the time he was 14, he was working as an apprentice carpenter, and eventually he became a construction foreman, overseeing a crew of 102 workers.

In retirement, he was not content puttering around the house and, with his wife’s prodding, started volunteering his time in various programs working with the elderly. When his wife of 29 years died in 2015, Patrick admits he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. That’s when somebody suggested he get in touch with the Foster Grandparents Program, which eventually lead him to the CRTC’s Construction Tech program.

“The kids make me feel right at home,” he said. “You give them respect and they’ll do anything for you.”

“Patrick works five days a week, three hours a day, but he’s always here an hour early,” said Hubbard. “The kids just love him … he’s a soft-spoken, easygoing guy, and he’s a wealth of information for them.”

Patrick said he hopes to continue helping out in the Construction Tech program beyond the end of this school year. “This relationship is helping me, it’s helping John, and it’s helping the kids,” he said. “For me it’s a challenge and a pleasure … and that’s what makes me feel good when I go home at night.”