COMMERCE, CA — The Rosendin Foundation wrapped its 4th Annual TRF Camp Build in Commerce, California, giving kids hands-on learning alongside professional electricians and builders.
After extensive safety lessons, girls and boys in grades 6 through 9 spent their days using professional-grade tools to cut and drill wood, bend conduit, run electrical wire, pour concrete, and paint. They built lamps, birdhouses, storage bins, sculptures, and other take-home projects, and got their first look at Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology used on real job sites. Every camper left with a free bag of tools so they could keep practicing what they learned at home.
"Watching the campers make the connection between their current skill set, what they’ve learned at camp, and their big ideas once they gain confidence in their skills is exactly why we do this," said Rhea Keator, Operations and Communications Manager, The Rosendin Foundation. "These kids arrive nervous and unsure, and they leave with real skills, real tools, and real confidence in what they can build. That kind of transformation in a single week is something they carry with them long after camp ends."
TRF Camp Build directly addresses a growing workforce challenge across the country. According to the 2026 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook from Associated General Contractors, 82 percent of firms report difficulty filling hourly craft positions and 80 percent report difficulty filling salaried openings, the highest levels in three years. Because kids start forming career ideas in middle school, The Rosendin Foundation designed Camp Build to reach them at the right moment.
"Kids can't picture themselves in a trade career if they've never held the tools or met the people who do the work," said Rachael Guerrero, Manager, The Swinerton Foundation. "Camp Build puts young people right in the middle of it, and that early exposure is often what turns a curious kid into a future electrician, welder, or carpenter."
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Volunteers from Rosendin Electric and Modular Power Solutions ran the daily programming alongside local partners.
"Seeing kids pick up a tool for the first time and use it with real purpose is exactly the kind of learning that shapes a future workforce," said Evan Berns, National Accounts Manager, Milwaukee Tool. "Hands-on experience is how young people build the skills, the muscle memory, and the confidence that carry them into the trades. Milwaukee Tool sponsors TRF Camp Build because every student deserves that first chance to discover what they can do with a tool in their hand."
TRF Camp Build is made possible through the support of Rosendin Electric Inc. and Modular Power Solutions, alongside partners at Milwaukee Tool, DeWalt, and The Swinerton Foundation, as well as sponsors including Border States, Graybar, United Rentals, Sherwin-Williams, IBEW Local 26, and IBEW Local 520.
