CASE Construction Equipment is teaming up with nonprofit Crew Collaborative to sponsor and help build from the ground-up an-all new career counseling and mentoring program for high school students interested in the construction industry trades: FrameWork.

"At CASE, we are customer-led in all we do," said Terry Dolan, vice president, CASE Construction Equipment, North America. "It's no secret that our industry has faced labor shortage issues over the past several years, and we can't think of a better way to support our customers than to help identify enthusiastic students who will make incredible contributions to the construction industry."

Crew Collaborative will join CASE in their CONEXPO/CON-AGG booth (#W40800 in West Hall at Las Vegas Convention Center) to solicit stories of how mentors have changed the lives of those in the construction industry and what paths industry veterans would recommend to best begin a career in the trades. They will also gather names of those interested in potentially serving as mentors to interested high school students.

"A couple of months ago, FrameWork was merely an idea on a sheet of paper," said Kristina McMillan, Crew Collaborative founder and board member. "When we brought the initial concept to CASE leadership and asked about their potential partnership on it, they replied 'We're all in.'"

Post CONEXPO/CON-AGG, Crew Collaborative will host an in-person retreat with CASE employees and other industry insiders to build out the program and begin beta testing. A full FrameWork program launch is slated for the first quarter of 2024.

"Although CASE has 180 years of experience in the earthmoving business, we are making moves with the speed and agility of a startup," Dolan said. "Partnering with Crew Collaborative to bring the cutting-edge concept of FrameWork to life will have a true impact on the construction industry here in North America and beyond for years to come."

Those interested in potentially mentoring high schoolers about the construction industry can find more information and sign up for updates at https://crewcollab.org/framework/.