Anthony Hardenburgh
Founder of Second Chance:
At the beginning of my sophomore year in high-school my guidance counselor sat with my mom and me and suggested that I take auto-body and air-conditioning repair, essentially suggesting that college was not for me and that my future was a vocational career path. I took the autobody and AC repair courses and enjoyed both, so much so, that during 7th period British Literature class, I convinced my teacher that if I maintained an A in his class, he would let me spend the last 20 minutes of his class on Fridays in the autobody shop. We were refurbishing a 1930’s fire engine and it was the coolest project that I had ever taken part in. However, it was clear to me as a high school student (I graduated from TC Williams in Alexandria VA) that many of the kids who came from families with higher economic means were not taking auto body or air conditioning repair. They were college bound, regardless of college choice or major. Careers in the trades were for a different set of kids. This left a lasting impression on me that college was the “only” path towards financial prosperity or so it seemed at the time.
At age 17, just after high school graduation, I asked my mom to sign off on the parental consent forms to join the United States Navy as a Seabee (specifically, an equipment operator). Lacking the financial wherewithal to pay for college, plus a wanting to serve my country, the military seemed like the perfect answer. I would join the reserves, do my duty, and self-fund my college through the GI bill and working my way through college.
Joining the Seabees was my first experience in the construction arena. Learning to operate road graders, D10 bulldozers, cranes, etc… was a great experience. Even then, with all of that cool heavy equipment to operate, I had it engrained into my head that I was going to college, now wanting to major in international business (whatever that meant) and that the Seabees was a stepping stone in my path to a college degree. Upon my return from basic training and “A” school, I met a gentleman who posted a construction laborer summer position on a bulletin board at Ft. Belvoir, Va. This position initially started with me digging footers for a new addition and other brute labor for the summer. It eventually turned into a position whereby I learned to build additions and homes during my Christmas, spring, and summer breaks while attending Virginia Tech. The learning was both fun and invaluable but again, this in my mind was simply another stepping stone on my path to getting my international business degree (technically it was international studies, business option). During my college breaks while I was working construction, very few of my wealthier friends were working construction jobs. They were life guards, working at the local stores, or if they had connections, doing internships for companies. The one thing that stood out was that the construction jobs paid better.
I graduated from Virginia Tech in May of 1994, and it took until October of that year before I started what I considered my first “real job” in my field of international business. During this waiting period, I continued to work construction, building additions and decks. I started at the US Department of Commerce as a Trade Reference Assistance making a whooping $19,200, plus a bonus $2,000 for my typing skillset that I gained in 8th grade. This was a hard pill to swallow given that it was about 40% less than what I was making in construction and on top of that I now had student loans to repay. While I had officially made it into my “college focused” career path, it was my first recognition that perhaps there are other career paths that can be both rewarding and provide financial prosperity if navigated properly.
Fast forward, I had a great 6 years with the US Department of Commerce engaged in international trade before leaving for what would be my future in the software industry, specifically, global trade software. I have had the great pleasure of spending the last 15 plus years in global trade software, serving in executive roles, and adding an Initial Public Offering and an MBA from Marymount to my resume. During this time, I have also kept a close eye on the trades and the career paths associated with them. Having two children, I have followed the rising costs associated with a college degree and the number of degrees that are available, some of which I have questioned their market value. These data points, plus the estimated 6 million plus unfulfilled jobs in the trades and I question what the real future for the American worker is. Please do not think I am against college degrees, it is quite the opposite. I am very pro-education and believe one should be in constant learning mode, whether it be in a classroom or via experience in the work place. I am also a big believer in getting a return on investment.
When the initial idea originated to form Second Chance, the focus was on high-school graduates who may have missed an opportunity for a more fulfilling career path. Our organization would help provide that “second chance” via a career in the trades. After a year of talking to many businesses, educational organizations, and individuals, we now know that this market goes well beyond high school and includes college graduates, who are underemployed and carry significant debt. The biggest challenge I have encountered is the social stigma associated with the trades and the myth that the only way to economic prosperity is getting a college education regardless of school or major. My hope is that in the coming months and years, we, at Second Chance, can help break down the social stigma and educate people that there is a great need for more individuals to join the trades and that one can earn a very good living in these fields, and that ownership is a real possibility.