OAK CREEK, Wis. — Liam Belmas spent Tuesday afternoon cutting tin for the fascia of brand new home in Oak Creek.

“This is seen kind of on the underside of the fascia, of the overhang. So, it kind of conceals the trusses in a way, and the insulation and stuff, keeps the heat in and all of that,” Belmas explained.

It’s the latest project he’s been assigned as part of his class — Knight Construction. He and his classmates have been busy since the start of the school year building a brand new house at 9961 S. Shepard Ave. in Oak Creek.

“So, I’ve installed windows, I’ve built walls, I’ve done the floor sheeting, we installed the trusses with a few other guys, I’ve done some shingling,” Belmas said. “We’ve done a little bit of everything.”

Belmas said he wants to go into heating, ventilation and air conditioning work after he graduates in a few months. He said he wanted to take this class to get more exposure since they get to work side-by-side with contractors.

“I kind of get an input of what that is, I can get to watch those guys work,” Belmas said. “I get to be hands on with them. I also get to look at the electricians, the plumbers, all that stuff, the rough construction, the pouring of the concrete. It all kind of comes into one and I can get a visual and hands-on learning of all those different trades.”

That’s why Matthew Lonergan started the class 8 years ago. He said he’s thankful that the contractors who work with the students are so dedicated to working with them.

“They aren’t going to be an expert in electrical or HVAC by doing this program, but they get exposure to it, and then they can determine ‘is this the path I want to go?’” Lonergan said.

The students have a few more months of work to finish the home. In May, they will have an open house to showcase everything they did, and the house will be put on the market.

Junior Ryan Thiede is excited for that day.

“Just starting from flat ground and seeing something get built that somebody can live in is cool,” Thiede said.