When Bechtel Construction announced in 2023 it was building a solar farm in Posey County, the company said it would hire more than 300 people to build it. Landon Hein was chosen as one of those people. BY helped make that possible.

At 19, Landon completed the BY Roads class in Evansville and took part in the class hiring fair. Bechtel hired him on the spot. He knew the certifications he’d earned during the class – NCCER Core, OSHA 10, ATSSA Flagger, and Skid Steer – would make him marketable, but he wasn’t expecting to be hired immediately.

Only a month into the job, Landon’s already done a variety of types of work. He’s put up solar panels, worked a bit in electrical and is now pursuing a VOC (Verification of Competency) so he can operate heavy equipment. His supervisor has asked if he’d be interested in working elsewhere in the state, but he’s not sure he’s ready to move out of his hometown.

Landon had never heard of Bechtel before the job fair, but he feels like he’s hit the jackpot. The pay and health benefits are good, and, after working for seven years in landscaping and other jobs, he knows he’s on a path to earn more and learn more.

Earning more is important because it helps him feed his passion – his 2003 Ford F250. “I love my truck,” he said. “All my money goes into the truck. I just bought a 2.5-inch level kit for it.”

His mom told him about the class, and when he tried at first to enroll in a spring session, it was full, so he had to wait until fall. He said it was worth it. “For once, I listened to my mom,” he said.

Stories like Landon’s wouldn’t be possible without support from Lilly Endowment – Thank you!