'Trades Day' encourages North Texas students to explore construction industry careers
ALLEN, Texas - The construction industry's Trades Day came to North Texas.
It’s a kind of an open house for high school students to what can be lucrative and rewarding careers.
The Trades Day event Friday was one of 15 events across the country designed to grow the next generation of skilled workers, which the construction industry desperately needs.
The construction industry is building its future, holding the first-ever high school Trades Day in North Texas.
"Getting into a trade just opens up so many doors long term for an outstanding career for a young individual that might not have an aspiration to go to a four-year university," said Vance Smith with Walker Engineering.
The non-profit Construction Industry Education Foundation is bringing real-life job experience to hundreds of students at the Collin College Technical Campus in Allen.
"I think it’s super useful. There's a lot of kids who don't know what they want to do out of high school," said senior student Colton Wilson. "So I think this opens up their minds and gives them new opportunities for things that they haven't seen before."
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Junior student Dejah Dunn had been thinking about a healthcare career.
"I would consider a trade. I would because after today, it was life-changing," she said. "Basically because I've never laid a brick in my life until today."
That's the point for potential employees and employers.
"We always kind of talk a little bit about building your bench right and having some people over the next 10 to 15 years that are going to take over some key leadership positions," Smith said. "And sometimes that means you start as an apprentice and work your way up in the ladder."
It’s just what senior student Dillon Martinez plans to do.
"I just feel like four years of college, it's not for me. More paperwork," he said. "But working and being more hands-on is what I want to do."
In an industry with robots and drones, the high-tech comes together with the traditional.
"And it's not just all about work in the field," said Monica Jacobs with DPR Construction. "But it is something that we're really trying to figure out how to engage the younger generation and show them that there is a wonderful career path that they can take and also provide them training along the way."
"The hands-on experience with high school students has proven successful.
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In 2023, 70% of those who went through the Trades Day experience say it caused them to pursue a construction career.