Goochland students shadow building inspectors, explore skilled trades careers

Two Goochland County ninth-graders spent the day in a county truck instead of a classroom, following the inspectors who sign off on the homes, additions and commercial projects residents rely on every day. Nathan Kempf and Sawyer Stevens rode along with Building Official Casey Littlefield and Deputy Building Official Mike Eutsey, visiting residential neighborhoods and a large commercial project while watching both residential and commercial inspections unfold.

The experience put a practical face on a job most residents only notice when something is being built, repaired or delayed. Goochland’s Department of Building Inspections says its mission is to protect public health, safety and welfare by making sure buildings, structures and related equipment meet the minimum requirements of the Uniform Statewide Building Code. The office also requires inspections to be requested by 3 p.m. at least one business day in advance, underscoring how much coordination goes into keeping construction moving safely.

For Kempf, the day connected directly to a future in the trades. He said he is interested in becoming an electrician, while Stevens pointed to the need for skilled workers to support the housing market. That connection matters in Goochland, where inspectors are not just code enforcers but part of the system that keeps new homes, businesses and public spaces safe as development continues. Littlefield said the students asked many questions and were eager to learn, making the ride-along productive for both sides.

The county’s building team brings years of field experience to that instruction. Littlefield was named Building Official on January 22, 2026, after Gary Fisher retired at the end of January following 15 years of service. He joined Goochland in 2018 and became the county’s first Deputy Building Official in 2020. Before entering inspection work in 2007, Littlefield spent 10 years as an electrical contractor, later working on projects including the Residence Inn hotel, Sheltering Arms Hospital, Avery Point Continuing Care Retirement Facility, Capital One renovations and Benedictine College Preparatory school.

Eutsey brings a similar hands-on background. He was named Deputy Building Official on March 13, 2026, effective March 16. Goochland said he began as a trim carpenter and framer, moved into residential inspection in New Kent County in 2006, later worked in Hanover, King and Queen, and Chesterfield counties, and came to Goochland in September 2025 as a Special Projects Plans Examiner/Inspector. He earned the International Code Council’s Master Code Professional designation in 2017 and has also served as a United States Marine Corps veteran, president of the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association and chairman of ICC Region VII.

School leaders said the ride-along fit into a larger workforce strategy. Dr. Jeremy Raley said authentic experiences help students build community connections while discovering rewarding careers in their own county. Dr. Andy Armstrong said Goochland County Public Schools cannot fully meet its mission without real-time interaction with the local workforce and called the partnership a strong example of durable career pathways.

That approach mirrors the district’s broader work-based learning program, which says every student should complete at least one work-based learning experience before graduation, military service or college. Goochland County’s Building Inspections Intern posting for high school students age 16 and older shows that the county is not only exposing students to the job, but building a path into inspections, construction trades and plan review work that local government will need for years to come.