The apprenticeship pathway is taking Ricardo Rojas to new heights. The 2021 BIG STEP Builders graduate is working toward journeyman status, with the goal of eventually becoming a foreman.
Our Milwaukee office’s BIG STEP Builders program introduces high school juniors and seniors to careers in construction through hands-on projects, field trips to union halls, and presentations from industry speakers. Held on four consecutive Saturdays, it shows students a pathway to stable, good-paying jobs in construction that don’t require a four-year degree.
The industry appealed to Ricardo, and Laborers Local 113 referred him to WRTP | BIG STEP for testing. After passing the test, he got in with Local 113 and started working full time in the industry in 2022. Today, he works at Gateway Concrete Forming Systems as a laborer apprentice, making $34.55 per hour.
“WRTP | BIG STEP helped me better my life,” Ricardo says. “I’m about to be done with my classroom time of 400 hours and about 90% completed with apprenticeship. I’ll be a journeyman after I finish my apprenticeship. I would hope to eventually move up in the ladder and eventually become a foreman.”
In 2025, Ricardo was working on the construction of the new Milwaukee Public Museum in downtown Milwaukee. He says everyone on the jobsite does their part, and he’s able to facilitate smooth communication, being bilingual in English and Spanish. Ricardo challenges members of the youngest generation entering the workforce to commit to the work ethic and responsibility required in construction.
“I would just advise them to give it their best and have an open mind to getting advice from older people,” Ricardo says. “The older you are in the construction field, the more wisdom and knowledge you have.”