Michels Corporation Awards $150,000 in Scholarships for Trade and Technical Education

Highlights

• Michels Corporation awarded $150,000 in scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year.
• Twenty-four students received funding through the Michels Scholarship Fund.
• The scholarship program supports university, trade and technical education pathways.
• The Robert H. Westphal Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Isabella Hellenbrand.
• Michels Scholarship Fund distributions have exceeded $967,000 since 2010.

Construction and infrastructure employers continue expanding workforce development initiatives as contractors face ongoing demand for skilled labor across craft, technical and engineering disciplines.

Michels Corporation awarded $150,000 in scholarships to 24 students for the 2026-2027 academic year through the Michels Scholarship Fund, which supports continuing education in university, trade and technical programs.

Scholarship Program Expansion

The scholarship recipients include Michels employees and dependents of company personnel pursuing postsecondary education opportunities.

Michels Corporation stated that the scholarship fund is supported through employee donations and company-sponsored fundraising events. Since the program launched in 2010, the fund has distributed more than $967,000 to 263 recipients.

The company also awarded the Robert H. Westphal Memorial Scholarship to Isabella Hellenbrand. The scholarship honors Robert H. Westphal, who spent 65 years with Michels and supported continuing education initiatives throughout his career.

Construction Workforce Development Efforts

Contractors and infrastructure firms across North America continue increasing investment in workforce recruitment and retention initiatives as labor shortages affect multiple construction sectors, including utility infrastructure, energy, transportation and heavy civil construction.

Scholarship programs tied to trade schools, technical education and university programs have become a growing component of workforce development strategies aimed at building long-term labor pipelines and supporting employee retention.

Michels operates across multiple construction and infrastructure markets through subsidiaries focused on pipeline, utility, trenchless, power, underground cable and heavy civil construction services.

Why It Matters

For construction owners, contractors and specialty trades, workforce development programs remain an important part of addressing long-term labor availability challenges across the industry. Educational support initiatives tied to technical and trade programs can help contractors attract future craft labor, field management and technical personnel needed to support infrastructure and energy project demand.

Source: Michels.