Most people don’t think about building automation as a career path when they’re in high school. For one HBT technician, it started with blueprint reading and a construction-safety certificate.
A Partnership Built on Real-World Readiness
Hoffman Building Technologies partners with The ROC Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to give high school students practical exposure to construction careers before they graduate. ROC pathways run through dual enrollment and workforce continuing education tied to Central Piedmont Community College, helping students build skills, certifications, and professional habits across construction, electrical, HVAC, and related technical fields.
For Donald Hofstee, Construction Manager at HBT, the value of that preparation shows up on day one of the job.
One ROC-trained employee joined HBT already able to read blueprints, holding basic construction-safety certifications, and comfortable using a meter. Those fundamentals made the move into building controls noticeably smoother.
“He came out understanding how to read blueprints. He had all the basic construction safety certificates, and he knows how to use a meter. It’s been a much smoother transition getting him into the controls world because he had all the prerequisites already.”
From Blueprints to Building Controls
Today, that team member works alongside HBT’s senior technicians, learning the specifics of controls work: how to point-check systems, review programming, and make adjustments in the field. It’s a direct line from construction fundamentals to the technology that keeps buildings running efficiently.
The partnership doesn’t stop at hiring, either. ROC staff stayed in touch after the employee started at HBT, checking in and helping with the transition, including short-term transportation support before he received a company truck. That kind of follow-through is part of what makes the pipeline work, for the student and for HBT.
Employee Ownership Means Growing the Next Generation
For an employee-owned company, developing new talent isn’t just a hiring strategy, it’s a stewardship question.
“Being an employee-owned business, it falls on us to make sure that we’re bringing a new crop of talent in so that when us old-timers start moving out, we’re leaving it in good hands.”
Donald also pointed out something a lot of trade partners run into: it’s genuinely hard to find people who want to work. Students coming out of ROC showed up eager and ready, which is exactly the kind of pipeline an employee-owned business needs to keep investing in.
Watch the Full Story
This story was originally told as part of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools feature on The ROC Charlotte.
Or watch directly on YouTube: Partnering for Success: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, The ROC & Hoffman Building Technologies.
FAQ
What does a controls technician do?
A controls technician works on the systems that automate and monitor a building, things like HVAC, lighting, and mechanical equipment, including point-checking installed systems, reviewing programming, and making adjustments so everything runs the way it’s designed to.
Can high school students get exposure to building automation careers?
Programs like The ROC Charlotte give students hands-on exposure to construction, electrical, HVAC, and related fields before graduation, which can lay the groundwork for a future controls career even if the student doesn’t fully specialize until after school.
How does construction training transfer into building controls?
Skills like blueprint reading, construction-safety fundamentals, and meter use come up constantly in controls work. Students who arrive with that foundation spend less time on basics and more time learning the systems themselves.
What can someone learn from working alongside senior technicians?
Hands-on mentorship is where a lot of controls knowledge actually gets built, things like point-checking, reading programming logic, and troubleshooting in the field are learned by doing them next to someone experienced.
Explore Careers at HBT
Hoffman Building Technologies is a 100% employee-owned building automation and systems integration company, founded in 1985, serving clients across 15 U.S. offices and internationally.
